Change of Seasons

I don't know if it's just me, or if tides are changing, but it seems as though life might be getting a tad easier.  (I'm hoping it's not just a glitch in the system and that I'm pulling my hair out tomorrow.)  I'm still behind in several things I need to do, but, we are good.  We finally don't have throw-up on our carpet thanks to my amazing Rug Dr. skills, we aren't coughing up our lungs anymore, no one is running to the bathroom in agony, and Lucy and Elsa's room is on it's way to being decorated after 4 years of trying.     

Leta and Annie still follow me around a good part of the day and cry to both be held like they are 1 again, but they are slowly but surely learning that I can't hold them 24-7.  (Let it be known that I don't think anyone could ever say I didn't hold my babies enough.  I practically wore them for the first 2 years of their life.  Now that they are 2 1/2, I'm trying to wean them off of being carried everywhere.)  

I even sewed a purse this morning for my niece, and although there were a few times Annie stepped on the pedal too, and both girls unraveled several spools of ribbon, it was overall a good, calm, crafting experience.  

Plus, we are doing better about being able to clean up after dinner.  Before it was just a miracle to get everyone fed and then it would be off to control the chaos again - forget the dishes.  Forget putting food away until after kids were in bed.  But, tonight, we all pitched in and cleaned for 15 minutes and I'm wondering, why did it take us 2 1/2 years to get to this point???

It seems like we are getting into some better routines around here.  Forget that they have only lasted a few days, but hey, I see greatness in our future.  

Lucy and Elsa are reading and writing more.  The other day I woke up to "Mom I love you" post it notes on the wall.  Seriously, that moment will go down in history as a great mom moment.

They have even gotten into the habit of laying out their clothes for school all by themselves each evening.  This equates to much MUCH easier mornings which means it now seems feasible to read scriptures in the morning without waking up at the crack of dawn - something I try to avoid like my life depends on it.  (The evening scripture time was turning into a circus with several fighting and loud lions.  Which made for 2 very grumpy ring leaders.)  We may have only made it through half a verse of Lucy and Elsa helping to read, but, it's feasible nonetheless.  And there was no fighting or yelling.    

Leta and Annie are discovering the beauty of dressing up and dancing which always brings me a smile. Today they danced to Saturday's Warrior.  "Jimmy, we love you.  Please don't turn us away."

Annie knows how to dress herself and put on her own shoes which is really nice.  (Though 5 outfits a day means I'm quickly heading back into the phase of washing a ton more laundry than is needed.  Not to mention the comedy and shock  of turning around to see a 2 year old with not a stitch but her hot pink flower shoes covering her body.)  

And Ryan and I had another go at a parent council meeting on Sunday.  And although my lovely spouse may have rolled his eyes at my agenda for our meeting, we actually counciled more than the usual "what's going on this week? what do you want to eat this week?"  We are improving.  Slowly but surely, this Melzer family bus is heading in the right direction.

Oh, we embrace technology here in the Melzer house.  Definitely not technophobes.  Below, they are watching an interactive book and today Ryan showed them video of their cat beating up a crocodile (okay, not our Hobbes, but it looked like it.)

For the last 5 years, especially the last 2 1/2, life has been a whirlwind.  I totally thought after having one set of twins I would know how to handle temper tantrums and even potty training better.  Hah, hah, hah!  Sometimes it seriously feels like I'm breaking in a wild horse.  

Every day I worry about if I'm doing it right.  If I'm screwing up my kids.  Yes, a lot of time I live in fear that I'm messing everything up.  So not a way to live.  I'm slowly learning and seeing that being a mom requires not only extreme patience with my children, but patience with myself and patience with the time it takes to see actual fruits of my labor.   I'm not going to reach perfection today, so I'm trying to quit fretting over it and wasting away the days in worry but rather just keep plugging along.

It was also nice to read this article found here.  I've tried to capture thoughts like this before, but I just love how this writer put it all together.  

Moral of the story, I'm still enjoying the journey.  And I love seeing how seasons are changing.  

Ryan even took the child proof latches off all of our kitchen cupboards.

(Oh, I still remember the days of extreme frustration as toddling Lucy and Elsa would unload everything in my house, like two little tornadoes.  I remember frustrating hours of installing latches and locks and drilling holes in my beautiful cabinetry.  Some in the wrong spot, so we ended up with a few unneeded holes.  Those latches saved my sanity though they were so darn annoying when trying to put pots and pans away.  And now we don't need them anymore.  Kind of bittersweet.)    

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In unrelated news, tonight Ryan and I scared the tar out of Leta.  Our house is piped for central vac.  We don't have it hooked up, but tonight Leta and Annie were playing with one of the wall returns in our front room.  We had never thought of the fun we could have with those pipes.  Ryan thought it would be hilarious to run to our bathroom and growl in the wall return there, so I stayed with the girls and told them to look and listen to see if they could hear anything in the wall.  It seriously sounded like a monster was in our wall.  Leta gave the most scared look I've seen, slammed that return shut and ran away screaming.  When I picked her up she was shaking like a leaf and white as a ghost.  Needless to say Leta was much more calm the rest of the night and we gave her extra snuggle time.  Poor little Pita Pie.  (I so wish I had it on video though.)

Darn, this was supposed to be a quick post.  Midnight beeps on the watch again.  I'll never learn will I.  (okay, I probably will, but it'll take some time to break this horse of her habbits.)