The Good Ol' Days....

When I first started this blog it was for the reason of venting.   VENTING PEOPLE!  About how stressed I was as a wife, mother and care-giver!  There was never a dull moment with my two little kiddoes and my mother-in-law and the hubby.... not to mention the pets.

Things have changed tho'.  Oh, I still have the hubby, he's not out with the dog yet.  I still have the two growing girlies ( and yes they are still strong-willed and trying at times).  G.P. (Grandma Patty for my new readers) is still with us, getting worse by the week it seems at times.  The dog and the cat still prowl the acreage (catching mice, moles, snakes, birds and rabbits).  I'm still there, doing more now than before, yet doing things that don't make me crazy!!

making funny face for Li's picture taking!

I have thoroughly trained  loved the hubby, and accepted his quirks and irritations (don't we all if we want to stay married to our better halves?!).
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Mostly, I am learning to "power down" when I'm coming up against the fortress of "Laurli".

 I have come to find with Lauryn that the more responsibilities I give her the better she likes it.  The more independence she has, the higher she strives!  So now my duties with her in the a.m and p.m really are just visiting, reading, teaching (cooking,  housework etc.) and answering questions for her.  She is the keeper of her school uniform, lunchbox, p.e. clothes, homework/backpack and alarm clock!!  She is the maker of her breakfast, lunch and sometime supper.  NOT because I don't want to be a mom and make these things for her, but my life and hers is much calmer when she is the one making the choices and fixing them (talk about a picky eater).  Yes, I still am the one to tell her what is or is not acceptable for her as a child.... yes, she does get disciplined and yes, she still has to do her homework and chores (even while she's whining)!  I think she is growing up, and doing it quite nicely!

The Li side of the fortress, is still in the whirling dervish leg of her pre-schooler days.  She is still into everything... like here.  Dressing up in clothes (real or dress up) 3-4 outfits a day!  Most of these are left behind on her bedroom floor, prompting mommy to stress the fact that once I can no longer walk into her room to tuck her in.... she's on her own!  Props to my little 4 year old for throwing her nightie and underwear in the dirty clothes basket just this morning tho'!!  She's also into leaving behind a "paper trail" throughout the day.  She loves to write "notes" to everyone (even her longtime imaginary friends; Zebra and Pony) and then rip it out of her notebook and deliver them.... thus leaving papers from one end of the house to the other.  She still loves nail polish, lip gloss, eyeshadow and hair accessories.  These also can be found throughout the house at different times, and in weird places.

Sorry for the blur, she wasn't sitting still.

She was laughing because we told her we were going to tell "Aunt Linda" (her sister) that she wasn't eating.  She said she was done!  Go Figure.

G.P. has 2 wonderful home care-givers that come and take care of her in the mornings now.  This has really been a godsend as she is getting worse.  The dementia has pretty much taken away the bubbly, fun loving person that I met when Greg and I were first dating and engaged.  She now is perpetually worried about where the girls are, where we are, when is she doing this or that.  She isn't able to use the bathroom alone, or feed herself, or dress and groom herself.  The stress of caring for her has been greatly reduced thanks to the care-givers!  I'm able to have 3 hours in the a.m. to work on my etsy.com listings, run errands, and visit.  There are still things that are stressful, like getting her to eat.... it's the weirdest thing.... she eats 6-8 bites and then says she is done, she's already eaten.  When you finally get her to focus on her plate... she says it's not hers... go figure!!

So the stressor that were causing my insanity have lessened.  I'm still a little crazy, but anyone in my family would tell you that was WAY before children and MIL's.  I'm hoping that the blog continues to be a favorite read, and that I continue to intrigue you with the tales of my new 4 letter word.  I still get a smile on my face when I get a new follower, and I outright giggle when readers leave comments!

Here's hoping you continue on this path with me... to places where we don't use 4 letter words (like sane) to describe our lives!