Today.

Time.


Ugh.

There is never enough of it.

I wish for more time to journal. (Still working on those life stories, I swear!) More time to write down my thoughts. More time to post.

More time for laundry?

More time to let the laundry pile up? Ya, that.

It's Spring Break for the kids and I this week, and all I've really wanted to do, is spend time with them.  I don't really care what we do, I haven't made any grand plans. I just know that I've been craving time with them.  I mean, I'm always spending time with them. Piper and I are pretty much inseparable all day, Jonas and I play transformers on my mornings off, and Ellie and I read together everyday after school, but lately I've wanted more.  More jokes with Jonas over breakfast, more conversations with Ellie before bed, more squeezing the life out of Piper's little squishy body, and more dancing with all three of them to Justin Beiber. Yes, I said JB. What has my life come to? I know.

Today was cold and rainy.  Gram invited us to the movies, and we were excited.  The movies! With Gram! Our favorite! The kids and I have been dying to see The Croods, and it definitely didn't disappoint.  Lots of laughs, and a good message.  I teared up during the part where the members of the Crood family were split up, each member forced to take their own individual path, only to later meet up together as a family, at their grand destination. The symbolism of personal journey, and paths of self discovery and empowerment, they get to me.  They do. I bawl like a baby. And so does Ellie, apparently.  She sat in her seat next to me in the theater, crying her eyes out.  Sad, feel-good tears.  You know the kind. I hugged her head into my shoulder. Sweet thing.

After the movie, the kids and I headed home. Exciting, I know.  I had plans to clean the bathrooms, because let's face it, it's time. But instead, I sat on the floor in Ellie's room while my three littles played.  I sorted through stuffed animals, always looking to chuck a couple, while Piper tried to catch herself ride on the back of Jonas' pickup truck, and Ellie and Jonas played something to the likes of Polly Pockets verses Ninja Turtles.  I sat on the floor, laughing silently at Piper and her determination to get that truck to take her somewhere, thinking to myself, this feels good and wondering how many more Spring Break's Ellie will spend playing pretend with her little brother.

We had bean and cheese burritos for dinner tonight. Ellie skipped out, laying on the couch with an "I just feel like maybe I ate too much" stomach ache. Maybe? When it comes to movies and junk food, her little body just doesn't know when to fold 'em.  Jonas made himself two burritos. He's into making his own sandwiches these days. (Burritos too, I guess.)  Ever since that one day, when his homework assignment was, "Make yourself a sandwich, and cut it into 4 equal parts".  Fine by me! Go get 'em Jo. Make me one too, while you're at it.

Jonas and Ellie were exhausted by the time 7pm rolled around.  We watched one episode of Full House together on my bed, (because it's like I always say, who doesn't need a daily life lesson from Danny Tanner?) and then they both knocked out as soon as they hit their pillows. Piper was a different story.  That girl.  She fell asleep in the car while we were in the drive-thru at the Walgreens pharmacy, at 5pm. (Longest lines ever. Always.) One twenty minute car nap, and the little girl is ready to party until midnight.

Knowing Piper wouldn't be ready for bed at her usual 7:30pm, I let her hang out with me (while her dad was at the church) downstairs, in front of the TV (more Full House!).  When I had decided that Ryan was never coming home (oh, the meetings!), and when I (not she) had decided that Piper was ready to stop jumping on the couches and quit throwing balls down the hallway, we headed upstairs... I put my game face on, and readied myself for night two of "nigh nigh in your big girl bed".

For the last two weeks Piper has pitched a fit every time we put her to bed.  Thrashing, kicking, and screaming as if she's been immunized. She loudly refuses to go to sleep, for hours on end.  It's been exhausting.  I knew from the minute she started these fits two weeks ago, what she was trying to say.  I'm no dummy.  But, I've been in denial.  Not ready.  Me. Not her.  She's ready!  For what you ask? Ready to ditch the crib.

The same thing happened with Ellie, at the exact same age.  (Clone sisters.)  It seems that my girls, they turn 15 months old and decide that they hate being put to sleep in the crib. They turn into tiny, feisty warriors on a mission to rid themselves of the bars. Ugh.  A battle they'll fight, until they've won.

Last night, Piper won.  After she'd been screaming for an hour and fifteen minutes, I threw my arms up in the air, went out to the garage, and brought in Jonas' old toddler bed. I set it up in Ellie's room, threw a sheet on the mattress, and asked Pipe while pointing at the bed, "do you want to go nigh-nigh on a big girl bed?".  She stopped crying, shook her head yes, and fell asleep the second I laid her down.

Ugh.  Bring on the worry for mom.  Unplug the night lights, close the bathroom doors, put the gate at the top of the stairs, and pray we don't have a tiny sleep walker!  I just sleep so much better when my babies are behind bars.  I do.  I also figured that tonight wouldn't be nearly as easy as last night.  I didn't have exhaustion (on Piper's part) working in my favor.  Turns out, I figured right.  Piper got out of bed twelve times in five minutes. At one point she even sat herself on the floor, folded her arms, and said "nope" so matter-of-factly when I told her to get back into her bed. (She thinks that she's two.) But, I had my game face on, remember?  I was determined!  We are going to get through this thing, and we're going to do it this week, I told myself. We will! (You know, because Ellie doesn't have to be to school at 8am this week, and she can watch Piper for an extra hour in the morning while I sleep in... ) What? Come on.  It only took three okay fine's, let's put you back in the crib to sleep, and Piper decided she'd stay in her new bed.  10:30pm, and she was finally asleep.  We did it! I guess. Sort of.  Better than hours of crib screaming, at least.

Phew.

Anyway.  Today was a good day.  Bedtime troubles and all.  Sitting here typing, I laugh.

Annnnnd....

Six years of blogging, and I still don't know how to end a post.

Uh.....

the end.

until next time?