Both kids bonanza
If you've been reading this blog you will know that next week I'm going to start having both kids home everyday for the summer. Yesterday we had a trial run. Gabriel had been invited to a birthday party at noon and Robert's busy preparing for a conference this weekend. Coming home for lunch which he normally does, was not possible. So we made the decision to keep Gabriel home all day.
First things first I need to stop napping in the mornings. I've been doing this for over three years so it is a hard habit to break. I think I slept ten minutes. I'm trying to start thinking of the day in 30 to 60 minute increments. I need time in the morning just to get my bearings. So I decided that we watch two shows. I started It's a Big Big World and then Sesame Street follows. They are both educational they relieve my guilt for using the electrical babysitter.
Gabriel looks up from his Nintendo and begins his struggle for control over the situation. "I want to watch Ninja Turtles !"
"Not right now Gabriel, remember you don't get to do everything you want just because your home. It's not the weekend we need to work too. Ninja Turtles is not educational. We are going to watch Big Big World and Sesame Street. You have been playing your Nintendo for an hour you need to turn it off for now."
He offers his arguments to watch his show and keep playing his video game.
I finally shut him down with the stern mommy voice.
"OK" he sighs. Goes and looks at his toys then sits down to watch the show he didn't want to see. Hannah's a pro at this she watches works on rolling from toy to toy and plays at the same time. It's Tuesday so I start the laundry and empty the dishwasher. Reload the dishes. Hand wash the pots and pans that don't go in. Grab some breakfast and a cup of tea. And start to wrap my head around the idea of what I want to do that day.
I usually put Hannah in her pacer at 2:00 but we will be at the party so I decide we will do it after the shows. So I tell Gabriel its exercise time after the shows. He doesn't want to participate at first but concedes after I get Hannah set up in the bedroom next to the Elliptical trainer I have in there. I give him a palettes ball. He suggest watching the news. I can't exercise to that. So I bring in the Laurie Berkner CD. After we start it takes him some time to realize I'm not getting off the machine till my workout is done. After constant reminders to stay away from the spokes he of course learns the hard way and gets hurt and moves to my bed to do some equally dangerous acrobats.
I tell him I'm almost done and I'm going to take a quick shower because I'm dripping in sweat. He wants to play a Yu-Gi-Uh card game. He hits me in my weakest spot, I love card and board games. I'm always trying to get him to play one with me. So I agree to wait on the shower. He is only five and the game is slightly complicated and being able to read well would be helpful. After we mess around with the cards for ten minutes I am extremely uncomfortable and itchy. "I'm going to take a quick shower." He tries to whine even though that never works. I jump into the shower and it is less than a minute. It's a quick lathering of the hair and soaping down and rinse. One of the super skills I've learned since having kids, I'm not sure if I proud of it but like I say it's quick and I'm clean.
Hannah demands to be taken out of her stander once I'm out of the bathroom. I move her to the bed while I try again to play an abbreviated game which mostly consists of Gabriel quoting the cartoon that promotes the game. After about two more minutes of this Hannah has reached her limit. She wants attention and she wants it now. So I use her as an excuse to stop the charade of the game since Gabriel has stopped giving me turns anyways and move everyone to the family room.
"Can I watch Teenage Ninja Turtles now?"
"Yes."
"Can I play my video game too."
He really getting good at trying to negotiate. "No"
"Aw shucks"
"Hey we don't have to watch Ninja Turtles"
He stops.
"Just remember in an hour we are going to the party."
I try to play with Hannah she pushes me away and decides she wants a nap instead.
I take the time to move laundry around and put some away. Then I collect everything to take Hannah out. Plus I'll need to hand feed her while we are gone. She luckily wakes ten minutes before we need to go. If woken Hannah's always grumpy is she wakes herself she is normally happy. Gabriel carries the present while I Sherpa the medical equipment two houses down to the party.
We all had a great time with Gabriel only getting hurt once and Hannah having a medical moment only once. Yeah!
I have simple goals.
The rest of the day pretty much went along like that. Constant negotiation but I did pretty well Gabriel only watched about three hours of television and played 2 hours of video games.
--Mom
