Mommying, Capitol, Badlands, New Beds

 So.... honest mom admission. Most people hate Monday mornings. I don't. Sometimes it's really nice to go to work and only worry about me. My co-workers don't bite or pinch each other. I get to pee alone and I soak in 1 to three cups of warm to hot coffee. It feels a bit horrible to admit that but sometimes the time away from my children makes my family stronger. They go to their corners of the world where they have their routines and people - places that I don't know how they work or what the schedules are, I don't manage the relationships or their time and it's nice. At the end of the day, we've gotten into the routine where we sit around the supper table and usually E manages the conversation but we share about our day. Sometimes she has people raise their hands and sometimes she determines the order. The girl has some serious leadership and micromanagement skills but for the most part we are all okay with it. 

It's nice to hear about their perspective. E and I talk a bit on the way home about her day and sometimes I have a heads up due to teacher notes or emails about what they are working on but I'm only getting the 30K foot view. Ains day's are a bit jibberish but the girl is a copycat. She soaks so much in and regurgitates it quickly. Grady rocks his fork on the table, Ainsley rocks her. E throws her hands up in the air, Ains throws hers up. Mom taps the table to get everyone's attention, Ains taps the table. Dad puts his head in his hands, Ains puts hers in her hands. 

This past weekend Matt headed to the badlands to do a boys' hunting trip. Being alone with all three

kids isn't as hard as it used to be but I did tell him when he got home that there will be no more of us leaving each other until we only have one struggling on the potty. I spent so much time in the bathroom or chasing people to get to the bathroom or changing pull-ups and then finding where the others had gone, I was a bit tired of that particular room. 

I tried to go out and do as much, especially as the weather has been good. We took the wagon up to the Capitol for a nature walk and stick find. They were so good and listened well. We came home, had lunch and I began to put them down for naps. I got Ains down and when I came out I saw E and G - they had gotten into the dress clothes. It warmed my heart to see them playing and working together. It's these moments when I realize how they see each other. 

Earlier in the week, we did a thing. We got E and G big beds. They were both put in their cribs from day one and have transitioned to lowest setting, toddler roll bar, to daybed. The other night when I came in the room, E's toes were out the rails of the bed. We figured it was time. So while they were at daycare on Veteran's Day, we got the frames set, purchased the mattresses, and made the beds. That night, we didn't tell them. The first one to find the new beds was Ains... she thought it was so fun to crawl up and sit on their big twin beds. G was the next to find - he was excited to yell down and let E know. They were excited about new bedding, new beds, and the changes. It's amazing how much room the beds take up but they fit so well and for the most part have slepts well. Ains gets frustrated when the stepstools are set up as she can't hoist herself up but the most heartbreaking thing was after the bigs looked at their beds, Ains went tearing off to her room to see what she had gotten. We did buy her some panties and she was excited about that but I'm not sure it's quite on the same level.