I Have Three Children

Most of my posts lately have been about Jakob because let's face it he is adorable, and sweet and he learns something new everyday. He has started to say Uh-Oh and Jakob. It's music to my ears. But, I have two other wonderful children (which means things can get pretty loud and crazy around here.) Ehlana turns four this month and the terrible threes are going out with a BANG. Usually she is happy, vibrant and loving but there's another side to her. She changes with out warning. And honestly, she's scary. We call it the "flip of the switch". When she was two it wasn't so bad. (Except when she would throw tantrums so big she would make herself throw up. That was pretty fun.) So why now at almost four has the switch been flipped to the I-want-to-make-your-life-miserable mode??? It takes me an extra 15 minutes to get out the door because the world is coming to an end about her hair, shoes, clothes, having to sit in a car seat etc. Yesterday she bit Jaxson so hard she drew blood. I can't even remember the last time she bit someone. I have been desperately rereading my Love and Logic parenting book. I try to use the thinking words not fighting words such as "I will be happy to help you with that when your not screaming at me" or "I would love to talk to you about this when your voice is nice and calm like mine." I have to be on my A game all of the time or go to my happy place. You know the happy place where toddlers don't yell NO at you when you ask them to please wash their hair, eat dinner, get in the car, stop pulling the baby by his neck etc. Awe yes my happy place. I have been visiting there often. One morning I snuggled Steve and said, "Let's run away together." He just laughed and got up to get ready for work.

Jaxson is six years old and seems to be going through a growth spurt. He eats like a teenage boy (although he is still stick skinny.) He loves to read and do homework. He has been randomly playing the piano for fun. (Which I love.) And he is obsessed with playing games. Steve found his old Magic cards from when he was a kid and is teaching Jaxson to play. At breakfast Jaxson will ask when Daddy is coming home so he can play a game with him. When Steve gets home we eat dinner and the two of them play until bedtime. It's really cute. (And kind of nerdy.) Jaxson asks me to play games with him a lot such as Uno, Chutes and Ladders, or Sequence. If I'm too busy then he plays with his imaginary friend, Dan. Unfortunately Dan wins a lot.

This week is spring break for the kids and we have been staying busy doing fun things. It's only Wednesday but I am ready for school to start again. We all could use a little break from each other and our normal routine. When Ehlana was born I had a friend with three kids and I asked her what it was like. She said, "Someone always needs something." She was right. Having three walking-screaming-I need to be fed-barely napping-children is challenging. But, despite my occasional my-kids-are-going-to-be-the-death-of-me moments I feel like I'm a great mom. It is what I was born to do. My Heavenly Father gives me confidence to know I can do this and do it well. The truth is it's hard work. Sometimes really hard work. And sometimes even my best effort isn't good enough. But, He will make up the rest. When I put my children to bed and I tuck them in and sing them a song and listen to their prayers I know nothing else in the world is more important than this work I have been chosen to do.