No Apologies

I realized that after a long hiatus from my blog, which has been more and more common for me since October...go figure, I start my posts by apologizing for my long absence or something like that. But this time, I'm not. I've just been busy with life. It happens. I only feel guilty in the sense that this is my journal for now (I like pictures!) and I just keep leaving voids in that important aspect of my life. :-(

One reason that I've been too busy is because the girls just have needed attitude adjustments. Something just was not working right because Ed and I just could not figure out what to do to get better behaved children. So since my attention was now divided 3 ways with children vs. the previous 2 ways... I have been cutting back on other distractions. And my blog was a little baby step in that direction. If it wasn't something I could do after they went to bed, in the time I had left after cleaning and putting Hunter to bed, then it never got written. The only reason I still have time to Facebook or Pinterest is because it's on my phone... and I sometimes get small, 5 minute "me" times throughout the day.

I've also been limiting TV time, because I felt like they were not doing enough other activities that they could be enjoying, and getting obsessed with shows. And crying whenever the TV went off. Not cool. Less TV for girls means less computer for Mom :-)
(This week is an off week because Ed is gone... and I need more than 5 minutes to prevent harm to everyone!)

Hunter became mobile. And is teething. enough said.

We have been trying everything (EVERYTHING!) to get our daughters to behave better, and some days are alright. Other days, eh, not very good at all. We took away all toys with a system for earning them back. Didn't work. Stole toys from their baby brother. Seriously? I still have many toys in my room and they really don't care. Took away playtime with friends. Hurt initially, but didn't help. Made a schedule. Mostly worked, though the attitudes are still there. But the fighting was better. They just really enjoy saying "no" a lot lately. So we are still trucking along. Trying to find a solution to help with this. 

Here is some snapshots from "art time" one day.

Cloud dough...baby oil and flour. Feels like fine, wet sand.

and paint in plastic baggies for doodling

We usually have toys dumped everywhere...or else strategically placed to create barricades throughout the house.

 Initiated daily reading time...as in, a set hour. Before, we just did it whenever we found time.

 Lexi was using our Duplo tub to block Carissa or something... next thing I hear is a loud "crunch", so there goes that:

temporary Duplo residence

The funny part about this is that I heard Lexi tell Carissa to jump on the tub...and then she came in to tell me that Carissa broke it. When they both were chastised for the result, Lexi didn't understand why she was in trouble. After all, Carissa was the one that broke it. I explained that it was because she told Carissa to do it, when we constantly tell them not to do that stuff because...things get broken! "That's why I had Carissa do it. So I wouldn't be the one to get in trouble if it broke!" *grumble*

Still making goodies to send to daddy's work

the schedule worked for a couple weeks, but little things kept changing plans so not so much anymore :-( 

puppets and stuff animals...used as a barricade also, I see...

So yeah, if this is the only post for another few weeks, it's probably still that I haven't quite gotten things functioning well in our home yet :-)

(This is a very fragmented post because I'm tired and so I'm choosing sleep over trying to sort through my thoughts. Tomorrow comes too soon!)