Oops!

Oops! Is it January? Apparently, I have been busy for the past 6 or so months and have severely neglected this blog. It has been busy. I figured that as Eamon headed toward being one year old that things would calm down, and that I would find the time engage in my trifecta of happiness; writing, taking pictures and exercising. Well, as it turns out, mobile baby boys are even more work than non-mobile, nursing baby boys and as little girls grow up, they too, are more work. Yikes it has been busy around here.

I am relieved that the cold, blustery days of January are upon me and that I am more confined to my home. I am looking forward to cooking, exercise and blogging, to spending time playing with the kids and taking/editing photos. In the past, the walls of my home would close in on me as winters seemed long and painful. At this point in my existence, winter is a reprieve. January and February come at exactly the right time for me in Indiana. I am exhausted from the holidays, spent from play dates, running around and trying to get everything done. Bring on the confining nature of January as I prepare for emergence in the spring. In March and April, the madness will be back and I will wonder where my brain has escaped to once again. That being said, it would be cool if winter temperatures could range between 20 and 32 degrees. This single digit stuff should be reserved for people who choose to live in God-awful places like Minnesota and Canada.

Almost three

In a few weeks, my Sawyer will be three. She is my spitfire; my wild child. A DeWitt force to reckoned with. I think (as with all of my children) that her personality revealed itself to me very early on. When I started to feel movement in my belly with her (at about 14 weeks), she was like a boxer. It was hard to believe that only one child was in there. Her movements were forceful and not to be ignored. Much like her personality today. Sawyer is a sweet, cute little girl. Her huge eyes are full of a sweetness and innocence that is unmatched. Her voice and use of language is precious and animated. She is the center of attention and the star of the show. She is the charasmatic one. She is, as I often say, "something else."

As far as parenting techniques are concerned, Sawyer has challenged us and forced us to learn and fail in various strategies. She is, as they say, a "spirited child." She was colicky as a baby, a tantrum thrower as a toddler and is now an instigater as a preschooler. It is hard to put into words how frustrated I have been by learning to parent this child. At the same time, it is hard to put into words how grateful I am for having been given the challenge. As difficult as Sawyer has been, the depth of love I feel for her is endless. She has taught me things about myself, both good and bad as I navigate the waters of her personality and behavior. As they say, "that which does not kill us can only make us stronger." Sawyer has made me stronger as a parent. She has helped Jason and I grow as a couple as we learn to present to her a united and unwavering front. Jason and I have spent countless hours discussing ways to improve our approach with Sawyer, and have come to understand the necessity of meeting children where they are and assisting them in moving forward. We have come to understand that kids don't just "grow out" of difficult phases. They need nuturing, structure and love to master them.

The good news is that, as Sawyer approaches the age of three, she is for all of our struggles: a total SWEETHEART. She is friendly, polite and fun to be around. She is funny, silly and adorable. She is still a bull in a china shop and a bit of a bully but, man has she turned over a new leaf. Madeline is now gone all day at school and Sawyer and I have had the chance to bond. We are having a such fun sitting on the porch in the morning while I drink coffe, running errands all over town and going to the park. I love this opportunity to get to know my daughter individually. She is such a neat little person, brimming with personality. Next week, she will start preschool two days a week. I'm sure this new adventure will contribute further to her improved self-control and I hope she shows her "fun" and "excited" side to her teachers! Good luck, Sawyer!

Almost 6

Madeline will turn six in less than one month. A few short days before her 6th birthday, she will begin first grade. I'm not sure how to express how dearly she touches my heart each day. She is, simply stated, a good kid. She is thoughtful, family-oriented, kind, safety-minded and smart. I am so proud of how she gets along with other children, of how fun she is to spend time with and of how many interests she has. I am proud of how intelligent and articulate she is. I am proud of how, at the age of 5 years, 11 months, she is very purposeful in many of the decisions she makes. She chooses to turn off the TV and engage in constructive activities. She chooses to read, write, draw and color. She chooses to play outside. She is the most grown up 5 year, 11 month old I have ever known. It seems like she has been older than her chronological age since the beginning. This ability to seem older than her stated age is certainly to the detriment of her brother and sister, as they are expected to behave as Madeline did at their ages. Jason and I are constantly trying to reframe the expectations we set forth for Sawyer and Eamon, as they are unfair. Madeline is an old soul.

When Madeline was just days past her 3rd birthday, she had heart surgery to correct a narrowing in the aorta that pumps blood to the bottom half of her body. It was so heart-wrenching for Jason and I. After her surgery, we were able to go see her in the pediatric ICU. She lay in her hospital bed, connected to more cords and machines than I care to recall, her long blond hair strewn around her. Despite the surroundings, she looked so angelic. Of course, she was heavily sedated but woke up slightly and recognized that we were standing by her bedside. Immediately, she spoke to us, "I'm not brave. Big sisters don't cry." She was referring to the fact that her baby sister was due to be born in two short weeks. We were unable to fight back tears and reassured her that she was certainly the bravest 3-year old on the planet. Much more brave than her Mom or Dad. Two days later, she was walking around the ICU. Five days after surgery, she came home. Every time I see her scar, I am so thankful to our Pediatrician for further exploring the murmur in my daughter's heart and my stomach becomes sick at the thought of children with undetected heart disease. We are so lucky to have our strong, healthy almost 6 year old girl; she is a gift and a joy. My heart truly swells when I think of how proud she makes me. It is such a privilege to be her mom. I am one proud Mama.

Family Hangover

We have a had a summer full of family. Family has come to stay here. We have gone to stay with family. It has been really nice. I love to see my neices on both sides of the family. I love my sister-in-law and her husband. I was able to see my brother, his wife and their son over the fourth when they so willingly drove to West Lafayette. My sister flew in from Colorado and stayed with us for several days. We have been to Ohio and my mom and step-dad have been to visit us. Our next endeavor is to throw my 65-year old retired father into our new mini-van and drive to Minnesota to return the favor of a visit to my brother. That should be interesting.

Jason and I are lucky that we each find it enjoyable to spend time with our own families as well as our in-laws. Nothing is perfect but, we are in a pretty good place as far as loving and accepting each other's families. Nonetheless, I predict a family hangover that may not resolve itself until around Christmas time once the summer comes to an end.

New Defense Strategy

Sometimes a team will repeatedly try a certain play to make a goal/basket/touchdown, etc. Team DeWitt has tried various defensive strategies to attain the goal of kids acting like they have some sense. Sometimes the zone defense works. Sometimes it's man-on-man. Generally, these defense strategies work well when used on Eamon and Madeline. They seem to fall for our secret plays on a regular basis with only minimal points for their side. As many of you know, Sawyer is a different story. We are having a very difficult time finding a defense that works for that kid. Honestly, she needs two parents to manage her at a time; one for her mental game and one for her physical game. She is a strong opponent and we struggle to keep up the pace, despite extensive training and watching the replays.

Dear Sawyer,
Our new defense, having tried the shades of gray-is black and white. If you are naughty, you go to your room. If you cry and whine for no reason- you go to your room. If you irritate people on purpose, in an attempt to gain negative attention- you go to your room. If you hurt your brother in any way -you go to your room. If you don't listen to directions within a reasonable period of time or come out of your time out area downstairs- you go to your room. If you come out of your room when put down for nap or bedtime, your bedroom door is locked with you on the inside. Oh, and by the way Sawyer, you are now going to bed at 8 pm, with only minimal exceptions on special occasions.

Try and bust this defense. Oh, and Daddy and I are really on the same team this time because Mommy has finally convinced him that you are not going to "grow out" of your naughty behavior without help from your parents. Go Team DeWitt.

We are doing this because we love you honey,
Mommy and Daddy

The Odyssey

Ahh. A new addition to our family has recently arrived. She is a welcome addition and a dream come true. A new mini-van. We have been putting off the purchase of this car for some time (approx. 1 year) and I could not be happier to drop the cash that it is going to cost us.

I was not always a fan of the mini-van. I always said that I would never, ever drive a grocery getter. I always felt that I was way too cool and stylish to drive such a car. I have always seen the min-van as a clear statement of having "given up." That was until I had three kids and wanted to leave the house without completely polluting the environment and/or spending $50,000 on a car.

I am now the owner (in conjunction with the finance company) of a Honda Odyssey. I love it. Jason loves it. It is spectacular. The kids are an arm's length away from each other, they can watch DVDs and feel comfortable when we go places. Often, when we would go out in our other car (3 car seats all right next to each other) the kids would fight, pull hair, put feet in each other's faces and generally bring their animosity into wherever our destination would be. Now, they are quiet, relaxed and pleasant upon arrival at our destination, and I could not be more pleased. This car has so much room. We left for the weekend on Friday with our three children, our niece and all of our gear and had plenty of room for more.

As happy as the kids are to be comfortable, Jason and I have entered this place in our minds where mini-vans are cool. Jason believes that his man card will not be revoked and I think I look stylish and hip. Maybe we are kidding ourselves. Maybe we're right.

Summer

When the school year was upon us, I was looking forward to the long, lazy days of summer. I was looking forward to sitting on the porch, watching the kids play while drinking a Diet Coke. I was looking forward to seeing my kids enjoy summer in all it's glory: the sprinkler, the slip and slide, the wading pool, popsicles and ice cream. This idyllic imagery has now abandoned itself and I am fighting to stay afloat in the pool of craziness that is the summer.

We have dance lessons for Sawyer, piano camp as well as piano lessons for Madeline, a lawn to mow, flowers to prune, a house to clean (dirt and grass are invading us), wet clothes everywhere, swimming lessons, family members visiting, family members we plan to visit, and so on. The moral of the story is that the grass IS NOT always greener. Summer with three children is just as, if not more busy, than fall, spring and winter with three children. It is time to resign myself to the fact that life with three (I bow down to anyone with more than 3) children is crazy. It is busy. It is madness. Last week, I had my niece here as well. So, we had life with four children. I do not want four children. Avery's visit solidified that notion in my mind, despite her being a well-behaved, helpful NINE year-old. I can't imagine adding an infant to the zoo that is our home. My brother called me last week and suggested that I watch a hilarious video on Hulu. I told him that I would schedule it in at some point. He then referred to my home as a "circus" and asked if he could buy tickets.

The good news is that I have been given the gift of time from my sister in law, Becky. She has had Madeline and Sawyer for the past 2 days, therefore giving me an opportunity to recharge my battery. Yes, I am rechargeable and I can feel my juices pumping again as I take the time to record this blog post. I miss my girls but know that when they come home to me, (tomorrow) that they will have a Mommy who is ready to face the madness again; battery recharged.