for only a moment

 Clint spent all of today and yesterday building the swing set for the girls. It was a lot of work and he was so dedicated to it that he barely took breaks. They love it and played on the swings or outside most of the time he was working on the house/platform/ slide part.

I didn’t get a lot done today. My morning started out productive but after that, I was mostly on damage control/childcare duty. The only thing I did was “make a meal, feed a meal, clean a meal” and repeat.

So Clara has been having either some mad allergies or she’s slightly sick. Maybe teething also. Clara changed clothes at least 6 times today. What is up with that??

Both girls are incredibly busy all the time. They play together constantly. I took them to Target this evening to get milk. They were so good in the store. I can’t wait for summer (8 days left!!!) We will have fun at home and on outings. The pace of summer is so different than school…

Bill and Laura came over tonight after Clint left for dinner with his friends. We had a nice evening. They brought Portillos and we showed them the new swings. Hannah wanted to have a picnic outside so we fixed plates for the kids and laid down a blanket. They were so cute sitting together and snacking on their dinner. The girls had fun playing with Anna. We discussed Lost theories and other random stuff. Anna is much bigger than I remember, having not seen her since February at Hannah’s birthday party. I wish Bill and Laura could move out to the suburbs and I wish Laura and I didn’t work full time so we could do play dates with the kids more often. We’re planning to get together soon for a double family date at the Zoo.

Clint went to dinner with Frank, Josh, and a different Bill, and maybe someone else not sure. He missed Bill and Laura’s visit entirely, although we did wait up quite late for him. I thought he’d be here around 8:30 or 9:00, but Bill and Laura left around 11 and now it’s 11:48 and he’s still not here. I will tell him they said hello. Frank was here all day helping with the swingset from noon to 5pm. I appreciate his willingness to help Clint with it. I truly miss so many of our friends here with whom we used to be close. I don’t know why we see people so little. Just a result of busy grown up lives, I guess. Summer is coming so it will get better. I have really enjoyed seeing people these last two weekends.

So umm. What’s up. Not much is new here. I have been working on some blog posts in Word the last few nights because I’m trying something new with Clara and bedtime. We were still having issues with security and fear and hysterical crying and vomiting all over the place… so …. Yeah. That Columbus day blog just below this one…that time we were having the same types of issues but Clara was in a crib… so that changed how I was able to reteach sleep skills. Now she’s in her crib but with the side off. Ever since Spring Break we’ve been battling this because on vacation, we all slept together in the same room, which was her heart’s desire to continue. Ever since, she doesn’t fall asleep on her own. She has to have you sitting with her, rocking her, or just being there. Her pediatrician just says to let her cry. That would also be the most commonly given advice…but the vomiting…

Honestly, if she’s so terrified that she cries hysterically enough to vomit within 2 minutes and 28 second of being left alone, then perhaps Ferberizing her isn’t the route to go. So I decided to teach her sleep skills and give her confidence instead of fear and abandonment. 

I’ve been sitting, first by her bed, then in her rocking chair, now in the hallway, with the door open, next up will be just inside my bedroom with both doors open, then on the foot of my bed, then fully in my bed. Each stage is 5 days or a week then moving back a little more. The beauty of sitting in the hallway and every stage after this one is that I can blog, browse the internet, or whatever on my computer for the 20 minutes it’s been taking her to fall soundly and securely to sleep. I don’t mind the time to reflect on the day and I’m really happy that I have found a way to help her go to sleep which doesn’t include me rocking her like a baby, nor her crying to the point of vomiting. She feels secure, loved, safe, confident, and capable. Yay.