Friday, September 5, 2008

All my secrets revealed...

Someone asked me how I keep it all together with a toddler around my feet all day long. I felt the need to answer candidly, for that is really the only way us mamas can feel sane and normal.

None of my secrets are easy at this point. Logan spends a lot of time outside. He also spends a lot of time making controlled messes. Which is intense for me... but whatever. And whenever I get a free moment from explaining everything from Pre-Algebra to how to sound out 'we' for the 900th time (lol!) I read him books.

I have also employed a lot of Montessori tactics with him. Lots of time in his highchair putting beans from one small bowl to another with a spoon. Lots of banging on pots and pans.

Did I mention he is outside a lot?

He has his own clipboard with his own crayons that we get out at the start of the day when the kids are getting their daily work done, but that really doesn't ever (like ever) last more than 15 minutes.

Today he spent quite a bit of time sitting on his bouncy horse, eating M&M's, and watching Baby Einstein. Then, the biggest chore (because every time the tv is on it is like a black hole sucking the life out of my children's brains and sending them to another dimension) is keeping the kids from that side of the living area so we can actually get something done.

It isn't easy. That is for sure. And I don't worry about if my house is clean. And Logan is outside, a lot. I pretty much just never stop moving. I put him in the swing, give him a good push, and then run inside, where I explain, once again, how to get the sum of X in a division problem, then run back outside, usually with binky in hand, to give him another push, and continue to push him with my toes while I listen to a recitation of Cyan trying to read the, omg, most simple books in the world, which of course, she was way past 3 months ago, as she stutters and read as s-l-o-w-l-y as possible while my eyeballs are falling out, just to have Alex come out and say he doesn't understand.

Lots of deep breathing. But thanks for thinking I could have it all together. That makes me feel like I may not be crazy for trying this.

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