Weekend Update + What Makes Me Happy

Weekend Update:

Friday night Josh and I planned on date night, pizza + a movie, but it was interrupted when we discovered that our heat was out.  Josh and Leah went to the school to pick up space heaters for everyone on our side of the housing.  Saturday morning we found out we also had no hot water.  I guess the boiler is out.  Our maintenance guy said that it will be at least a week before the part we need arrives here in Marshall.

In the mean time, we are heating water on the stove for dishes, using space heaters to keep warm and sponge bathing the kiddos.  Oh, and complaining. I'm doing lots of complaining. ;)

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Saturday Josh took the boys to Saturday Social and I was left for two blessed hours all by myself.  I did nothing. I sat on the couch, watching episode after episode of Parenthood (I ordered Seasons 1-4 for myself for my birthday) and read the magazines that had stacked up all month on my end table.  

Josh was gone most of Saturday afternoon, and the twins had their friend Michael over.  I had Leah over for a visit, and before I knew it, it was time for family movie night.  We watched Planet 51, which is a pretty cute kid movie, and had cheese pizza.  My kids are gaga for candy corn right now, so I pretty much made their night when I gave them each 3 candy corns when they finished their pizza.

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I have been suffering headaches the last week and a half, and the only thing I can figure is that I am not getting enough sleep. I have been getting upstairs later, and then staying awake too long in bed. Plus one or the other of the kids has been up each night at some point.  This week, I told Josh I am going to be really strict about 9pm: Upstairs and 10pm: Lights Out. Hopefully it will bring my headaches down to none!

In addition to headaches, my anxiety has been off the charts again. It's like since I got triggered back in late August with my stomach illness, I can't shake it all the way.  I get a stomach ache and instantly I am certain I have abdominal cancer or an ulcer.  Saturday night I talked to Josh at length and he put a lot of my fears to rest. I am hopeful this week to talk back to my worries with "I can do hard things" or "If that happens, Josh will take care of it."  It feels good to have a plan.  (I also think getting more sleep will help my anxiety as will getting outside as much as possible.)

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Peaceful parenting went really well last week.  I got four out of seven days with No-Yelling, and I am hoping for even more this week.  All together, I have ten No-Yelling days in October. I am two days away from my goal of 12 days.

In general I would say I just feel much more calm and relaxed about my parenting.  I don't freak out when the kids make a mess or a mistake. I find it easier now (nearly six weeks later) to breathe instead of yell.  My goal this week is to eliminate the word "if" from my vocabulary.  

The book {Peaceful Parents, Happy Kids} is against discipline in any form.  My whole world revolved around discipline and consequences before this book came into my life, so my go to parenting phrase was, "If you do that one more time..."  Well now that doesn't make any sense, because I am trying not to punish or threaten. So my goal this week is to replace "if" with "please". 

"Please" followed by an explanation of why I need that behavior to stop. (ie "Please don't throw the legos because you might hurt your brother.")  I think saying please will remind me to be kind, choose love & explain why I want the behavior to stop instead of just barking orders.

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Sunday I took the boys on a walk & it was good for us.  Jack wrote me a thank you note afterward and Logan talked about next time we get out.  Wyatt pretended we were on a Team UmiZoomi adventure and kept saying he was "Geo." It was so adorable.  Then we had hot cocoa & cereal for dinner, with baby oranges-- thank you Moore Family!  It was a good way to wrap up our weekend.

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 What Makes Me Happy:

1. Reading the same Halloween books over & over

Bonus of having a teacher for a husband? Access to all the Scholastic orders.  I have been slowly building up our library, and the kids love when I pull out each new set of holiday books.  Right now Wyatt is obsessed with Ten Timid Ghosts by Jennifer O'Connell.  We all pretty much have it memorized.  It makes me smile when I hear them reciting it as they play.

2. Creamer for my coffee

Saturday Josh called me from the gas station and said they had real Coffee Mate creamer in French Vanilla and Irish Creme.  He asked if I wanted some, and I said Yes Please!  They weren't cheap. $9.49 each.  Oh, but they make me so happy!

3.  Carnival + Halloween = Excited Kids!!!

Cop partners and a baby Cougar are counting down the days in our house.  It's so fun to see their joy! They can't wait for Wednesday & Thursday!

4. Space heaters & kind neighbors

I am feeling, despite the bummer of no heat or hot water, oh-so-grateful.  I am grateful for our space heaters, and our kind neighbors who have offered to let us shower & bathe our kids at their houses.  Times like these show us just how important this little community is.

5.  Parenthood (Seasons 1-4)

Seriously LOVE this show.  I can see parts of myself in each character, and I love seeing other parents agonize over decisions.  It's proof that parenting is hard.

Today's Inspiration:

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