You know how sometimes you wonder what your life would be like if you had never had kids, how much free time you would now have to accomplish all the things you wish you could accomplish now that you just can't seem to find the time? Do you ever look at your life and wonder what the hell you did with all your kid free free time?? I never wish to never have had the boys, that's not it at all, I just wonder sometimes when I'm at the end of my rope what my life would be like now had they never been born. I have to tell you that this week made me realize that my life would be empty. Completely and utterly empty. Those little boys who drive me insane on a daily basis are also the same ones who made this "staycation" week one to remember. This also tells me that there are so many more adventures for us on the horizon and if I base our future vacations on the one we just had, I know they will be great! Of course the boys weren't angels the whole time and there were many time outs and frustrating toddler moments but for the most part there was joy, laughter and memories being made. We started our week with a morning trip to our favorite park and ran into a friend who invited us over in the afternoon where the boys played in a bouncy castle and threw rocks in their river. They had a great time! Then came Butterfly World which I really thought was going to be a waste of money (although we only ended up paying 11$ thanks to Lynn for her Johnny Coupon and our children still getting in for free). I really thought that we'd go in there, look at the butterflies for 10 minutes max and then leave. I got in there and BAM - Bouncy Castles, water play feature, little cars, big ass blocks... it was awesome! The boys loved the butterflies for exactly 10 minutes and then had a wonderful time with all the rest! The next day we hit up Fundy Park. The drive was long but my mother came along and helped keep the boys entertained. We got there and did a great little hike with many many stairs. Surprisingly enough the boys walked the whole time even up and down all those stairs and were hardly ever in our arms! They were so excited for all of it! Then we found this great little park where they played really well for over an hour. Our adventure continued the next day with a visit to the museum. Yet again, I was like "What is there at a MUSEUM for toddlers?" Well let me tell you... they have this really great exhibit downstairs for the kids to play. I was really surprised at all the fun stuff they could do! On Friday I had a play date with Kelly P, her boys and a new friend with her twins and older daughter and we headed to my mother's place in Shediac for an overnight visit. Bedtime there was fun... Gab and I spent the night in a tent on an air mattress which was ok. Not like the camping I used to do but I'm sure my body couldn't hack the sleeping on the ground anymore (I was never a fan of it anyways...). There was a band playing and as most of you know, my husband is a musician. As I was trying to fall asleep through the noise, he'd pipe up and say something like "Oh, they missed a note there!", "Oh, I LOVE that song!", and "Oh, looks like they're starting that one over!" and I'm like " I DON'T CARE!" lol! Saturday morning we stayed in Shediac for a bit and packed up. The boys were so sleepy that they almost all passed out on the way home so we decided to put them right to bed. This means they went down at 11 and were up at 12:30... It's ok though, we watched some shows in bed and went to spend the afternoon at one of Gab's friends house where the boys had a great time in their pool even when Gab missed their under water dunks a few times! lol. He WAS the only adult in the pool with 5 toddlers so we gotta cut him so slack... so what if he only noticed the second time Zachary went under.... Maybe that's why Zach threw up this morning, he still had water in his tummy from the pool!! Today we were woken up by our early riser Jacob and then Zachary who was complaining of tummy pain. They came to bed with us to watch some YouTube while we tried to be a lazy a little longer. It was went I went to the washroom that I hear Gab scream "I need you!". Poor little Zachary has thrown up water like substances everywhere in our bed... womp womp... Zachary and I cuddle in the living room for a little while and then he tells me he's hungry so I go make him a super small bowl of cereal which he promptly throws up everywhere. So off to the shower we go with my poor little dude. After that though and some more cuddles, he seemed fine. Asked for a toast, then some peanut butter and kept it down. He asked for a second one, which he scarfed down and kept down. That was it, that's all it was for the rest of the day. He ate normally and played and was a little less happy than normal but not another vomit. Phew!
That was pretty much our week! I'll leave you with pictures so you have a better idea on how our week went! Brace yourselves... this is quite a picture dump!!!!
Throwing rocks down by Véro and Mitch's river
My little naked rock stars in training
So much fun OUTSIDE of Butterfly World too!
Papillon!!!
Fundy Park here we go! It took us a while to find Dickson Falls but we got there!
BEST PICTURE OF LIFE!
Gab's going in!
Our plan was to have them all sleep on the way home. Sam was out in 5 minutes (he's always been a great car sleeper) and the other two hardly slept at all...
Museum Time!
They called him Pépére... LOL
They wanted to talk on all the phones!
St-Hubert for lunch! Play room time!
Play date time!
The snacks brought all the boys to the yard!
Playing with Snap Chat!
Packing for one night away with the boys is quite an adventure in itself!
Working with their tools to help Mamie and Pappy
Our humble abode for Saturday night
Post nap hang out
Loving this pool!
They had an absolute blast!
Let me say that I will be happy to have some actual time off tomorrow but that's all I would need and then I'd be ready to do it all over again! I'm certainly going to miss those boys when they go to daycare!!!! My plan is to have some quality one on one time with each of the boys in the coming weeks so that should be fun!!! Singleton parenting here we go!!
My kids don't have fruit for breakfast every day unless it's in the Nutrigrain bar I gave them because I was too busy doing my makeup to make them a fully nutritious meal. I'm not sure my kids even really had breakfast this morning because they fully rejected my home made waffles I made them and then basically gave up on breakfast.
For supper, they had nacho chips, cake and sugary fruity juice. Not because there wasn't plenty of wonderful sandwich choices and yummy watermelon. Nope, because they were eating something, I was happy and that's that. I did convince them to have SOME watermelon after a while which they LOVED but no go on the sandwiches.
My kids watched a lot of TV today. They watched a lot of TV yesterday too and probably will again tomorrow.
I haven't had hummus in my house since the boys were 8 months old.
I yell, daily.
I haven't cleaned my toilet yet this week.
I have two loads of clean laundry on my bed that I shuffle from one end to the next whenever I want to go to bed.
I don't make my or their beds... like ever. Maybe... maybe once a week.
I was too lazy to go get groceries this morning so my kids will have the Honey Nut Cheerios once again, yes the sugary kind and not the Healthy-O's their nurse recommended.
My kids speak French, English and Chiac. Yep, we are Moncton-ising their language already. We are most definitely messing them up for their future careers. Zachary said his first fully chiac sentence this week: "Samuel! Je ne peux pas reacher!" while he was trying to reach something on Gab's rental van.
I have an online business that requires me to be on my phone. A lot. Even my husband judges me for that one and I admit that I am on it a little more than I should. I'm trying really hard at trying to grow this business and yes, it requires me to be on my phone a lot more than I should. That is the ONE thing I know I need to change. Online office hours is what I need!
I know I'm going to love every moment of my week off with my boys but I can't wait to have a full day to myself to do nothing but watch OITNB or read an entire book all alone on my sun chair. Thank you daycare!
I could go on but then I might get some calls from CPS because there HAS to be some perfect moms out there who still judge.
I have to say that I know I've been judged and I'll admit that I judge others on a daily basis. I shouldn't but I do... yet another bad mom moment. I really do think it's just human nature to judge and I know very few people who don't actively do it so shut your mouth and stop judging me lol!
People often ask me how I do it, how I can manage to have a career, do Younique, and raise three toddlers... it's simple, I don't have a pristine house. It's quite often in shambles.
For the most part, my kids eat a well rounded breakfast, don't worry. They love their Spinach Blueberry Banana Smoothies, they love their Banana Oat Pancakes, they love their Yogourt, Strawberry Granola Delight, it's just that sometimes, I say F it, I don't have time or I don't want to make an effort so here's a Nutrigrain.
There are so many times when we as moms just think we are screwing our kids up but let me tell you, we are doing the best we f-ing know how. My kids are loved beyond words, they have a roof over their heads, they get to sleep in a bed every night knowing they are safe, not even knowing what being unsafe feels like, they have food in their tiny tummies (even if most of it is carbs and sugar tonight) and they get to play in a house that is lived in. I know that when they grow up, they won't remember if I made their beds or not or if I gave them fruit every morning. They'll remember me laughing my head off as I watch them jump on the couch and being silly. They'll remember jumping all over me and Gab as we tickle the crap out of them. They'll remember the stories we read them and the cuddles we gave them WHILE watching TV.
What brought all this on? Well my book club girls and I went to see Bad Moms on Friday and man was it ever good! I laughed and cried and laughed and cried some more. It just made us all realize that even the most "perfect" mom has got some shit of her own to deal with and there is absolutely NO ONE that is perfect. We all have our "I've just screwed up my kid for life" moments. I'll tell you this right now, if you're one of my mom friends, you're doing amazing, you're doing the best you know how and your children are loved. I know because I see you looking at them. I know because the love you have for your children comes out of your eyes even when you're telling me a story about how annoying they are. Love is all there is when it comes to our children. Love, structure, and knowing you're their safe place... keep it up my friends, we are all in this together!
Now who else has confessions to make so I truly don't feel alone in this??? lol
Here are some pics to look at while you think...
Oh, but a video first! Here's Zachary's first solo swim:
https://youtu.be/8qTm8T9ub1o
Zachary reading a book in the chair he insisted he sit alone in at the doctor's office
Now waiting for xrays...
We still don't know the results!
My students waiting for their test... it's easier to count those WITHOUT cell phones! lol
My amazing students... I sure will miss them!
My wonderful summertime colleagues!
Jacob loves sitting with me while I get ready :)
We had such a good time at our cottage getaway!
This was my alone time while Gab drove the boys back home... so peaceful!
Fun washer toss!
Finished off the night with some fireworks!
Fire time!
Gab doing his thing!
Sam was wearing Kelly's daughter's hat!
Fun times at the Ho twins birthday!
Sam didn't want to take a picture with me... womp womp!
I'm sure you remember, especially if you are friends with me on Facebook, the beginnings of toddler beds. I stopped updating because I really thought it was going to get better. Well it hasn't completely fallen apart but I can't say that it's all rainbows and unicorns either. We have a pretty good routine established because that's what has always worked for our boys but the moment we put them down, it's demand after demand after demand. Jacob always wants Gabe, Samuel and Zachary always want me for the most part and there's just no pleasing them. They want water, they want a hug, they want a back rub, they want another hug, no, not a hug in the bed, a hug high high (where we need to pick them up) and then no, not just a hug, a kiss and a hug, no, not in the bed, high high Maman! When we think we have one figured out the other one begins his list of demands... We have tried it all and I think we have just come to the conclusion that bedtime in our house will be a process. When you have three toddlers in the same room with different needs, it's just not going to go smoothly. Sure, give me one kid per room and I'll figure out that kid, but give me three in ONE room... nope... just not happening! I have been telling Gabe for a little while now that this is just going to be our life for a little while. The boys are simply NOT going to say good night and let us walk away right now so I took a poll amongst my toddler parent friends on Facebook and here are some snippets of that thread:
"You are not alone lol... I have to rub his back, sing him a song, read a book and then he'll yell at me to come back because he wants to talk to me about Santa... WTF lol" (translated)
"Tonight he [toddler] was in there singing Wheels on the Bus at the top of his lungs for a good hour and a half"
"It can be almost a 2 hour process or some lucky nights only a few minutes. We read him 3 to 4 books and usually sleep with him until he falls asleep"
"One is easy... the other twin sings, takes her diaper off, wants water, her blanket, wants to give us some lint, etc..."
All I can say is that I'm glad I'm not alone. I've done mostly everything by the book with these kids and we've been raving about them since they were newborn and this episode in our lives where they're just not doing what we thought they SHOULD be doing is hard. I'm having an easier time with it lately since I've accepted our fate. It takes us anywhere from 15 mins to an hour and the nights where it takes an hour can be really hard on the head. Jacob needs a LOT of soothing and if we leave when he's not ready for us to leave, he'll get out of his bed, plant himself at the end of the hallway in front of his bedroom door and cry like it's the end of the world. Sam just likes to have his legs hang out from his bed so we sometimes have to go put him back to bed and then he wants kisses and snuggles high high. Zachary normally wants to us to kiss a imaginary or non booboo, remove imaginary or non hair from his mouth or he wants his McQueen blanket. He can quite literally ask us to put that blanket back on him 15 times a night. I think, often, it's that we're so spent with our day and we know that our alone time is coming up soon so we just want them to go the F to sleep! We just need to breathe and give them the time they need. At the same time though, as someone advised me so, we can't forget that they need to learn to self soothe as well... Man... this toddler stage is tough! All I gotta say is WTFK?????????? lol!
I will say this though... once they're asleep, unless they fall out of their beds, they sleep all through the night until their GroClock sun comes up. It's an early 5:45AM wakeup call but that's when we gotta wake up to get three toddlers ready to get out of the door for 7:15AM!
As annoying as putting them down for their sleep at night can be, we have SUCH awesome little dudes! Sure they still push and bite and pull hair and ignore us when we warn them of danger such as falling off the couch if you try to jump over 5 pillows... They are also the most entertaining, lovable, squeezable little boys. They make us roar with laughter on a daily basis and our hearts grow with theirs everyday. We had SUCH a great weekend! I can't wait to see what the rest of the summer brings us!
Here are some pictures to finish off :
I have no idea why he was crying but he was pretty cute in his pink headband!
It was a good day on Thursday to be a summer camp teacher!
On our way to Shediac to spend some time with my family!
It was Christmas in July so it was craft time!
Boys dancing on the stage to the Christmas music!
Finished product!
This is what fashion looks like to Zachary. Some fights you just don't fight!
Babineau family reunion!
The boys were the talk of the town!
Two of the three were watching Paw Patrol while Jacob was being Jacob...
About to remove Sam's socks!
Sam thinks it's hilarious!
The boys are helping out Papa remove random nails from the platform.
The boys are loving their new backyard addition!
Had a good time at the Peacock Twins birthday today!
