Every single time Josh and I go back to Idaho to visit family we come home thinking "we've really done it this time...Zeke will take a billion years to get back on schedule THIS time". Seriously. It gets bad. The kid stayed up playing until 11 pm, 1 am, and 2:30 am respectively and his entire week was a yoyo of passing out cold into a complete coma once or twice a day and mad mad excitement wrestling with uncles, jumping on beds with cousins, and discovering duplo blocks for the first time. This is memory-making at its finest, don't get me wrong. And I love that he will be friendly with the other children of the family (you know, since he's still convinced all adults want to eat him). But every single time we drive back thinking, how oh how will we survive the next week, we went too far this time. And magically every single time he goes right back into his normal routine as soon as we arrive home. He went to bed at 9, he slept all night, and then he woke me up to the demand "book book" at 7:30.
Maybe its being back in his own enviroment and bed, I'm not sure, but I am so thankful for it. Because lets admit it, all my Waldorfian theories on the health of rythm and schedule for children aside, I personally not only thrive on a predictable rythm to my day but sort of depend on it for my sanity. I will admit that Zeke and I stick to a regular Monday-Friday routine because I need it, not because I necessarily think its better for him. I have my suspicions in that direction, dont get me wrong, but even if I didn't errands would be run in the morning, lunch would be served between noon and 1, and nap would directly follow.
It was a great trip, however. Zeke had a lot of fun, as did we all. And Josh and I's main concern, that the stress of travel would throw me into constant braxton-hicks, or even worse cause me to go into labor, really didn't pan out. I had a litte bit that very first night, I think just from dehydration and a long car ride, but was able to calm them down quickly. And after that I never had an issue again until around dinner time of the last night. I'm not sure what happened that fateful Saturday evening to set me off but it's Monday morning now and I'm still on the same set of contractions. They will calm down all the way to 2 hour breaks between and then build back up to "crap crap crap...this baby better not be coming for at least 2 more weeks" level at some point during the day. I'm starting to wonder if this is just going to be the new normal until the Blueberry is born. I am at 35 weeks this week so past any "danger" but 37 weeks would make me (and Cathy) a lot happier.
All of that to say that I probably still wont go into labor until mid January. Because that's the kind of luck I have.
We are home, however, and I have a giant to-do list including about 6 loads of laundry, grocery shopping, getting around to that blog about my Hypnobabies program finally, finishing up a few christmas crochet projects, and maybe even seeing my freinds at some point this week (call me because I have the entire week clear right now and you KNOW what THAT does to my sanity).
P.S. A shout-out to Zeke's Auntie Jen who sent us home with a big laundry basket full of hand-me-down toys including an entire set of Toddler Lego's. It was Christmas in November when we got home, let me tell you, and I've already started to wonder how in the heck to fit all my child's possessions in one tiny (and soon to be shared) bedroom. I can only hope he recieves a lot of clothing for Christmas. lol. He'll be a 2T this summer, folks, and that bedroom has got to last him a bit longer yet. Now when he moves upstairs and has a huge walk-in "toy" closet...THEN we can get out the big guns. ;)
6 comments:
If you have storage space, an idea I've always liked is rotating toys. That way you can break out some "new and interesting" toys ever few months, and stick the "old" ones away for a few more months. I'm getting ready to do it with Kalli's toys because she's starting to get quite the collection and she doesn't pay attention to any of them unless they're "new."
I agree with Rachel - we rotate toys, though I sometimes forget about a toy set entirely. Luckily Ella is to an age where she can say "Hey, don't we have a doll house?" and then understands that if we get out the doll house we have to put the blocks in the basement. Also, it only seems to work when the kids are playing with similar toys, otherwise you are rotating TWO sets of toys, and realistically, it's just not happening in my house. :p
I am also a big fan of plastic storage tubs from the dollar store. So many of our toys/puzzles/crafts are only fun if you have all the pieces, so a big toy box just doesn't work for us. The little plastic boxes are great, and can stack so you can put them on a bookshelf.
I'm so glad you are home, and that your visit went well. Blueberry stay put!
Yup, we also rotate toys. We have two big laundry baskets in the garage absolutely brimming with toys. Every now and then we switch them out with the toys in the living room. It works pretty well! They're happy to see toys they haven't played with in a while and are less overwhelmed with the toys available to them.
I keep different toys in different rooms. And once they are in that room that is where they stay. So it's kind of like rotating toys. The room Preston wants to play in that day decides what toys he plays with. And if he feels like switching toys he can always just switch rooms. Means that we have toys all over the house, but I'll survive that one. :) It's kind of nice because that means that Preston has toys and things to keep him entertained in every room too.
I'm glad you are back too! Our week is pretty free also, except that I want to head up to Toys R Us on Thursday. So let me know when you want to hang out!
And I'll be the 4th one to agree with the rotating the toys. I bet he will never have a bored moment in his life! I am so glad you guys got to come for Thanksgiving. we loved seeing you, and Zeke is so sweet and getting so big! Thanks for the shout out!! Love you guys!
It sounds like a good, solid trip. Congrats. :) And babies that KNOW a schedule will always fall back into it. It's what they know. Once ours were set on theirs (as infants) we could deviate on weekends as often as we liked, but as soon as Monday hit...we were back on track. Schedules give comfort and peace of mind to little people who can't yell at us and say, "WHY THE HELL ARE WE GETTING IN THE CAR AGAIN??? I WANT TO STAY HOME!"
:)
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