MONDAY NIGHT MUSINGS

- Today is the last day of February. Thank goodness! This has been such an exhausting month, with several big Primary activities to plan, and my pregnancy tiredness and sickness really kicking in. I just cannot seem to get on top of the laundry and chores. And my poor husband and kids have had to deal with my crazy mood swings (stress, exhaustion, and hosting large dinners at my house don't mix well :). I'm just looking forward to putting this month behind us.

- Speaking of being pregnant, this has felt like the longest pregnancy ever! I'm only 10 weeks along (today), but considering that we found out at 4 weeks, and then had to wait 5 more weeks before ever even seeing a doctor, it just dragged on. And the fact that I'm practically counting the minutes until the first trimester is over in hopes that this pregnancy will be true to form and the pure exhaustion and yuckiness will have passed, just makes time move like a turtle. Of course, this pregnancy has been very different so far. I've never considered myself someone who gets "morning sickness" while I'm pregnant. I've never thrown up, and I don't even like to say that I feel nauseous. However, unlike my other pregnancies, I am much more sensitive to foods this time. It's really strange. And really disappointing. I think I've narrowed it down to milk, including yogurt and ice cream, as well as chocolate. If I avoid those foods, I feel much better. But it doesn't completely take the stomach-churning away. I seem to feel the worst in the evening, which makes for pretty boring nights around here, and not-so-great sleeping. I've got 30 more weeks to go, and was expecting to be able to sleep for like the next 20 of those. Man! So I'm really hoping this is soon gonna pass. Pregnancies are supposed to get easier each time, not harder, right?

- Last week, I went to pick CJ up from preschool, and one of his teachers stopped me on my way out and asked me how we discipline CJ at home. I told her that we do time-outs, and she asked me if he stays in them, and I told her yes. Her reply was, "Hm." She then told me that they have an area that they call "the blob," which is basically a time-out, but that CJ won't stay in it. So of course, my first question was, "What is CJ doing to get sent to 'the blob'?" Well CJ's preschool class is huge - there are 19 kids, and only two teachers. I'm not a big fan of that. In order to accommodate the class size and the various learning levels, they divide the kids into groups and then rotate to various stations. But apparently, CJ has just been running around to whichever station he wants and not staying in his group. And when the teachers try to get his attention, he pretty much ignores them. That sounds familiar. His other preschool teacher had the same issue, but she was able to work with him and get past that within a couple of weeks. Anyway, I was surprised when they told me the issue, because he's been going to school there for two months now, and when he first started they told me that was what he was doing but that they were ok with it because they felt like he was simply adjusting. So now, here we are, two months later, and not much has changed. And then I feel like a bad mom when CJ's teachers are asking me for advice and I am at a total loss. As I drove home from CJ's preschool that day, I went from feeling embarrassed to feeling a little annoyed. Yes, I am CJ's mom, but our environment at home is not run like a school. CJ is allowed to move from activity to activity pretty much as he pleases, not much structure. And I kind of felt like, as the trained professionals, that maybe they should have some ideas for me, rather than the other way around. Anyway, after thinking about it, I realized that CJ actually does really well when given choices, whether between two good things he should be doing, or between what he should be doing and what the consequence will be if he doesn't do the right thing. I also realized that CJ can be very motivated by rewards and by privileges being taken away. So the next school day, after having had several conversations with CJ about it, he went to school knowing that if he stayed in his group and listened to his teachers, he'd get a special treat with Daddy. But if the teachers told us that he struggled, he wouldn't be able to play the wii all weekend. Obviously he's not perfect yet, but after arming the teachers with some more insight into what works with CJ, they said he has really improved in the last two days. Here's to hoping he can keep it up, even when a reward is not offered :)

- So it happened tonight. Mattie pooped in the tub. But it's worse because CJ was in there with her too. I guess she's right on track, though. CJ was this exact age when it happened the first, and only (thank goodness), time for him too. Here's hoping that Mattie will follow in her brother's footsteps and this will be her only offense (cleaning that up was one of the most disgusting things I have ever done!!)

Happy Monday!