midweek update from our house

Greetings! I don't have one specific topic to blog about today so it shall be a hodge podge of items.

1. I have cut way back on my pop consumption. I don't have much in the house (Jay told me I still had to buy since he hasn't stopped drinking it). I don't allow myself to drink it at home most of the time--I did have one yesterday while Rebecca was over. No sense in making her suffer too! :) I will drink it when out to lunch someplace. But I would say I go without at least 4 days out of the week--that is pretty good! I feel a little sluggish but I'm hoping that it will pass the longer this goes on.

2. Ethan is still obsessed with sea creatures. He got "The Complete Shark Collection" from Michaels. Yes, that is exactly what he calls it--I don't even know if that was really the name! I had to give them water yesterday while he was playing soccer. I don't know about this kid sometimes!

3. Olivia. Sigh. This girl is totally nuts. She started taking her diaper off anytime she was in her crib (no poop though--thankfully). I had her in a onesie for a while and that seemed to do the trick. But then she managed to get out of the onesie without unsnapping it so that was over with. I pulled out an old sleeper without footies and put it on her backwards. That seems to be working so far. I have to put her in it at naps and bedtime. And I only have one so we'll be hitting Once Upon A Child later for some more. I just can't stand the idea of buying a brand new sleeper and chopping the feet off so used will have to do it. But wait--there's more! Now she has been taking her diaper during the day. I was in the kitchen cleaning up yesterday and went into the family room to check on her. There she was, naked as a jaybird, watching TV. She had taken everything off--and her diaper had poop in it! Thankfully it was a hard poop but there were little niblets all over the carpet...nasty. She did again later in the day. I can't tell if she just honestly doesn't get that she shouldn't do that or if she totally gets it and is just tormenting me.

4. JT (my brother-in-law) and I have started a child swap. We've been at it about three weeks. It is the BEST!!! He gets a day to go golfing and I get a day to just do whatever I want. It is so nice to have that break from my kids. I love them and I know that my job is to be home with them but sometimes I just need some time off. Real time off, not just time off during naptime. The unexpected bonus from this on my end has been getting to know my nephew, AJ. I admit that I haven't paid much attention to him since his birth (although I did put in quite a bit of time in the delivery room, much to my chagrin). But hanging out with him on my swap days has been really fun! I'm getting to know him and figuring out how to take care of him. He is warming up to me--yesterday he sat on my lap at Ethan's soccer game for quite a while even though Em was right there. He and my kids have a ball together and he is figuring out how to torment Olivia as good as she gives it. :) It gets a little chaotic with three little ones running around but knowing that there is a day off coming up makes it a little easier!

5. Josie helped me do some serious cleaning of toys last week. I pitched a bunch, donated a bunch and put most of the remaining toys in the storage room. It means a lot less mess to clean up every day and it feels more manageable.

That is it from here. I wish the weather would shape up. I need to do some serious damage to my garden with a bottle of Round Up but it is always either raining or blowing hurricane force winds down here.