Lincoln comes home from school and I have to pry things out of him. I make him tell me three things about his day. Which 90% of the time are "1: Substitute teacher in gym. 2: Outside recess. 3: Green ticket. Can I go now?" He wants to tell me nothing. Fast forward to 8:00 pm and suddenly he's telling me, with agonizing detail, step by step directions to the craft they worked on today.
While I was sitting there listening to him, I'm telling myself to be patient, be nice. After 8 o'clock I lose about half of my niceness. I suppose I could compare it to someone working in a store that closes at 8 and one more customer sneaks in at 7:58 and is taking forever. And you're like look, the store closes at 8 pm. I'm done. I'm off the clock. Don't my kids understand this concept?
Anyways, I'm working on starting bedtime sooner. So we can build in time for the endless rambling. I was thinking that I was being nice to them, letting them play until the very last minute and then rushing through bedtime. Why are they complaining? I let them stay up, I let them do one more thing, color one more picture, build one more guy, etc. That way has not been working. So I've been trying to start the bedtime process at 7, or shortly after. That way I don't have to sound like a crazy drill sergeant ordering them to strip down and get their jammies on!
Another thing I've been working on... is my appearance. My wake up call was when I was talking to my husband about someone. I don't know this person, so it was 100% judgemental of me to describe/think of her this way but... I said something like "yeah she was kind of a mess. She was wearing like leggings and snow boots, her hair was a mess, and had this big coat on. She was just a mess." And then I caught myself.
That is EXACTLY what I look like every. day. I was looking down on someone for not dressing well and looking like a mess. When I am literally wearing the exact same uniform. So I've decided to *attempt* to clean up my act. This includes brushing my hair before I go out in public, no more wearing my pajamas under my coat while walking Lincoln to school, and also, getting out of bed earlier so I'm not crazy rushed to get Lincoln to school.
I understand I need to give myself some grace, I picked up some real bad habits after we were so sick this winter. It was survival mode and if that means rolling out of bed and walking out the door then so be it. Keep the kids alive no matter what the cost! But I'm not there anymore, and I have got to do better! And people are noticing, I've put on makeup three times this week already and I'm even wearing perfume. Micah came home from work the other day and I'm looking half decent and smelling good, he hugs me and breathes in and says "what's with this??" and I'm like "I told you! I'm trying to take care of myself!"
**Disclaimer** If you see me in real life, no need to hold me accountable on this "looking better" thing. I'm making no promises. Don't be expecting the queen.
One more announcement. Asa is out of pull-ups! And has had zero accidents! -which I am just shocked about. He has been wearing pull-ups at bedtime since we started potty training him... shortly after he turned three. Lincoln wore pull-ups at night until he was five. So Asa is out of them a full year before Lincoln. Way to save us a ton of money Asa James, he's getting so big.
Speaking of kids getting big. Lincoln got a bloody nose last night. And he took care of it himself. Ladies and gentlemen, there is LIGHT at the end of the tunnel. Sllloooowly but surely these kids will begin to take care of themselves.
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