Updates

Mum Mum: For anybody who has been following the events going on recently in my family regarding my grandmother I wanted to give another update. She is being discharged from rehab on Sunday August 2. That morning Colleen, Roy, Josephine, and Jamison will be picking her up and heading to Florida. Yes, Mum Mum will be moving in with my mom in Florida. She is happy to be getting out of the rehab center and was looking forward to going home, but this was the best option for her at the moment. With that being said, not everybody in the family is in agreement about the decision so it tends to be a sore topic in general. I will keep my opinions to myself because it was her decision and I want for her to be happy, that is what matters.

Tonight Ben, the boys, and I went into Annapolis to visit with Mum Mum. We will not be able to get down there on Saturday because of the boys' birthday party and she is leaving for Florida Sunday morning. I am really sad to say that tonight was the last time I will see my grandmother! At least she got to see the boys and myself...I will continue to send pictures of the boys to her in Florida so she can watch them grow up. My hope is that Mum Mum will be happy and comfortable in Florida... (and she should be since she gets to be room mates with the best cat in the world...aka Cowboy)

Zak: I have no clue what has gotten into him recently. I swear he lost his ears the last few days and I am hoping he will find them soon! He has perfected his tantrums and I have perfected letting him do his thing and just walk away from him (of course staying close by if we are out in public). I learned trying to reason with him just makes it worse so I just have to let him finish and move on (even if we are out in public). His newest behavior has been kicking and hitting people (and the dogs). At the play area the other day he was hitting the other kids (mostly out of play, but sometimes out of anger/frustration). Today he has started to run around after Robin and try to kick her (he hasn't really ever actually made contact with her, but still the idea is not right). He is not doing it to be mean, I really think for some reason this is his new way of playing. We have started to use time-outs with both boys...they have to sit on the steps for 2 minutes. With Zak we do send him to his room alone at times because separating him from the rest of us is usually punishment for him. On a good note, he is talking SO much! I am shocked with how many times he comes up to me during the day and says something I have never heard him say before.

Ryder: He is mimicking Zak's behavior which is not a good thing. It makes it hard with the 2 of them playing off of each other. Ryder also has to sit in time-out for hitting at times. He has not picked up on the kicking....yet. On a good note, he has been getting more and more vocal recently. Not necessarily saying actual words, but he is trying to mimic us and talk.

These boys sure keep me on my toes. I wish there was a toddler boot camp out there that we could send them to! No, really I just need to find a means of discipline that works well for them. I will never believe people again if they tell me it gets easier as they get older because it sure has been getting harder and harder for me.

Ben: He will be leaving for a business trip in Knoxville on Monday. He gets back on Friday, but probably not until the boys are in bed already. I am not sure how the boys and I will survive next week alone without Ben. I will have to work hard in finding places to take them so they can get their energy out in a healthy way. On their birthday we might meet up with Chelley & Maddie (John also, not sure) at the mall to eat and hang out a bit.

April: As for myself, I have not been in the best of moods recently. I have gotten in a "funk" and can't seem to get out of it. There is a lot going on so I am super stressed which makes dealing with 2 cranky, hitting toddlers even more difficult. I have not been sleeping all that well which has led to day after day of migraines and headaches. I am hoping once Ben gets back from his trip I will get a weekend to spend on myself (sleeping in and what not)....