August 26

It was good day today, but I'm having a hard time remembering that because I am so frustrated with Eli. Bedtime and late evening is such a challenge with him, and it's really discouraging for me. For example, he was exhausted and ready for bed tonight at about 7:30. That is a normal and appropriate time for a 7-month-old to go to bed. So we did all the normal bedtime things, I snuggled him and nursed him until he was full, and he fell asleep in my arms. But the moment I laid him in the crib, he began screaming. So I picked him up and started it all over...

At 8:36, I left his room and he began screaming again. He wasn't happy until Chris put him in the Ergo.

I feel frustrated because I wasted an hour trying to get him to sleep. If I had known it was fruitless, I would have stopped after fifteen minutes and gone to the gym. But instead, I wasted an hour and I didn't get to go to the gym. And the thing is, two nights ago I went to the gym and left Chris to settle Eli. When I returned an hour later, Eli was wide awake, playing with Chris. At 9:15. I just want him to sleep like a normal baby. He's been better about naps lately, and I don't understand why his little mind thinks going to sleep for a nap is fine, but going to sleep for bed is not fine.

What it comes down to is that I really would like two hours of the day (maybe three, but that's pushing it) where my child has all of his needs met and he doesn't need me. I know that this is a short season and this will end soon, but I am stuck in the middle of it right now, and it is so frustrating. SO. FRUSTRATING.

But we had a whole day before the 7:30 bedtime debacle rolled around, and it was mostly a good one.

OK, really it was a normal day that had a few good parts and a few bad parts.

Eli woke up at 6:15 this morning and wanted to party. At 6:30 I texted Chris: "COME GET YOUR BABY." Amazingly, it worked, and he took Eli until he left for work at 7. Then I put Eli back to sleep in his crib, and all was right with the world. We did morning breakfasty school things, and Eli slept. I took the big three and the baby monitor to the bus stop, and Eli slept. Caleb was feeling sad, though, so I sat down in the middle of the sidewalk and pulled my big first grader into my lap for snuggles. He didn't even mind, and I was glad that Eli was sleeping.

After we got Caleb on the bus, we had an art party. My aunt is having a double mastectomy on Monday, so the kids and I created a whole bunch of beautiful cards in an effort to fill her mailbox with love and support. I even broke out the paints and glitter, so you know things are serious.

Oh, did I fail to mention that it was a topless art party?

Just kidding. Everyone else kept their clothes on. Lily is the only one I don't trust. 

Daisy was so excited to use all of our art supplies: I don't remember the last time I let the kids play with them because it can be so much work. But I don't want to be that kind of mom, so hopefully I will be better about creating opportunities for them to create, messes be damned. 

Eli sat in the high chair and chewed on his lamb, and we were very productive.

The afternoon was weird: Daisy started yawning at 11:30 and she is coming down with a cold, so I knew today would be a nap day for her, even though she doesn't nap anymore. I put her down at 1:15, and she went right to sleep, despite her protests. Then Eli and I put Lily down at 1:30, only she didn't go to sleep. I'm pretty sure she talked in her room until nearly 4:00, even though I went in to try to settle her a few times.

Eli actually took a two-hour nap, which is exciting and wonderful. Hooray, Eli!

And my mom came over after she got off work, which was a fun surprise. She brought a belated birthday gift for Lily: her very own art supply box, filled with crayons and markers and glue sticks and paper and scissors. Caleb and Daisy each have one, and now Lily is thrilled that she has one, too! 

This is her trying to figure out the scissors: 

She had no idea what to do, but she knew they were for cutting paper and she knew she wanted to use them. It was pretty funny.

Completely unrelated but I want to remember: for Daisy's birthday, our friend Mr. Kevin gave Daisy a Hello Kitty watch. None of the other children have a watch, and it's a really special thing for Daisy. Yesterday, Daisy told Lily that for Christmas, she would give Lily her own watch - a Wonder Woman watch. I have no idea where that came from, but Lily latched on to it. All day yesterday and several times today, Lily would randomly say, "Own watch? Daisy get own watch? Mine?" She is fixated on the idea of getting her own watch. Daisy had better  not forget!