Jace is so defiant and it's wearing everyone down. We use timeouts with fidelity(locking him in his room), but it doesn't seem to be affecting much change.
Cody has been putting him on the top bunk, which he doesn't like, but again, doesn't seem to be affecting much change.
I was talking to a co-worker who said she had very obedient kids. I said I didn't know how that was possible unless you spanked them into submission ( like I was). She said she never spanked.
Curious to know more, I told her my story with Jace. She said timeouts are obviously not his currency. Interesting.
It got me thinking about what IS his currency, because if we continue on this path he's going to be in jail. He has zero respect for authority. Two days ago his grandma reported he kept spitting at her and telling her to shut up. Sigh.
Well, yesterday we told him if he was good he could play with the iPad. He was good the whole day! We let him play with iPad when Cody got home. Unfortunately, he screamed at Cody when he said it was time for bed, so we pulled his beloved puppy and told him he couldn't sleep with him tonight. Turns out, his puppy might be currency.
Sigh. We'll see. Parenting is hard. I know Jace's behavior is only going to get worse unless we get it under control now.
Pray for us!
Friday, April 17, 2015
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Give me back my HOE!!
Oh my! Jace is at it again! Easter just passed, and in their Easter baskets they both got a gardening set that had a rake, shovel and hoe. Ashlynn stole his hoe the other day, and I hear him screaming, "Ashwinn!!! THAT'S MY HOE!" Cody happened to pass by at that moment and sarcastically said, "yeah Ashlynn, that's HIS hoe. Give him back his hoe!"
Sigh. This is my life, but what a funny, happy life it is.
Sigh. This is my life, but what a funny, happy life it is.
Monday, March 16, 2015
NO...TOUCH...MY POOH!!!
Jace and Ashlynn got cards from their Grandma Smith the other day at the dollar store. Jace picked up some Winnie the Pooh the cards. They were doing well keeping them separated, you know, until they weren't, and Jace's cards started to get mixed up with Ashlynn's. After trying to spread them out and keep them separated, Jace finally said in exasperation
"ASHWINN!! DON'T...TOUCH...MY POOH!"
I know it's not that funny, but you have to know his inflection and animation. It was just too funny.
"ASHWINN!! DON'T...TOUCH...MY POOH!"
I know it's not that funny, but you have to know his inflection and animation. It was just too funny.
Sunday, March 1, 2015
My little engineer in the making: like daddy and Grandpa
Cody's parents always described him as a child who had to touch every button. I didn't realize how trying that was until I had Jace.
Jace is not yet 3, yet he is constantly touching the remotes, cell phones, playstation controllers, and plugging and unplugging cords. He is obsessed with learning how things work.
It's not just his dad in his genetic make up like that. His Grandpa Baskall was reportedly the same way. Always tearing apart radios, he ended up being able to fix literally everything in my house growing up. Heck, just the other day he came over and fixed our washing machine, something Cody had been having some difficulty with. Jace was right in the thick of it. "you fixing it grandpa?"
When Cody met my dad, he usually found him tinkering with something or working on a car. It is a known fact that yelling and cursing at inanimate objects is part of my dad's talent in making them work again. It actually might be the secret ingredient. Jace is still just a little boy, but boy can that little boy YELL. I came out one day finding him trying to shove a shape in a box and he was yelling "come on!!" over and over and over again. His dad told him to stop yelling and try another hole, but inside I was chuckling. Oh he would have...eventually. It was just part of the creative process. :)
Jace is also always cold. Total opposite that way of his dad. The other day he shivered after drinking some ice water and declared he was "chilly." He went and turned on the space heater (because yes, he knows how to work it) and just sat in front of it. I was on the phone with my mom at the time, and she remarked how that reminded her of a story my dad's mom used to tell. She would come home from work and find my dad, the oldest of 4 boys, asleep on the floor in front of the heater.
Jace also likes to "hide" in closets. Another trait he apparently picked up from my dad; although, my dad hid in closets for much different reasons then my son. :(
The last thing I remembered was my husband and I talking the other day about our kids. Ashlynn is so tough due to her under responsive sensory system, but Jace is not baby. He just gets mad when he's hurt. As I was telling this to my husband, it reminded me of my dad who my mom says gets "madder than a hornet" whenever he gets hurt. lol
I like seeing my dad in my son, and seeing my husband in my son. It's cute and endearing. I love that little dude.
Jace is not yet 3, yet he is constantly touching the remotes, cell phones, playstation controllers, and plugging and unplugging cords. He is obsessed with learning how things work.
It's not just his dad in his genetic make up like that. His Grandpa Baskall was reportedly the same way. Always tearing apart radios, he ended up being able to fix literally everything in my house growing up. Heck, just the other day he came over and fixed our washing machine, something Cody had been having some difficulty with. Jace was right in the thick of it. "you fixing it grandpa?"
When Cody met my dad, he usually found him tinkering with something or working on a car. It is a known fact that yelling and cursing at inanimate objects is part of my dad's talent in making them work again. It actually might be the secret ingredient. Jace is still just a little boy, but boy can that little boy YELL. I came out one day finding him trying to shove a shape in a box and he was yelling "come on!!" over and over and over again. His dad told him to stop yelling and try another hole, but inside I was chuckling. Oh he would have...eventually. It was just part of the creative process. :)
Jace is also always cold. Total opposite that way of his dad. The other day he shivered after drinking some ice water and declared he was "chilly." He went and turned on the space heater (because yes, he knows how to work it) and just sat in front of it. I was on the phone with my mom at the time, and she remarked how that reminded her of a story my dad's mom used to tell. She would come home from work and find my dad, the oldest of 4 boys, asleep on the floor in front of the heater.
Jace also likes to "hide" in closets. Another trait he apparently picked up from my dad; although, my dad hid in closets for much different reasons then my son. :(
The last thing I remembered was my husband and I talking the other day about our kids. Ashlynn is so tough due to her under responsive sensory system, but Jace is not baby. He just gets mad when he's hurt. As I was telling this to my husband, it reminded me of my dad who my mom says gets "madder than a hornet" whenever he gets hurt. lol
I like seeing my dad in my son, and seeing my husband in my son. It's cute and endearing. I love that little dude.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Jace's sayings
I want to keep a list of all the funny things Jace says, and here it is :)
Let's go to the alligator (elevator)
Mom, my butt hurts. Can you get the sour cream?
Daddy, I want panpapes! (pancakes)
Mommy, is this daddy's squirts? (cologne bottle in hand)
Daddy! We saw a pirate today! He's a good stranger! (Referring to the paramedic at Chick Fil A)
I see a cranky! (referring to a crane)
Dad, watcha doing with that waffle maker? (referring to the portable grill)
Mommy, will you turn on my night moon? (referring to his night light)
Sahara! Go to your candle! (kennel)
Daddy! My butt burns! It burns like a toaster!
Let's go to the alligator (elevator)
Mom, my butt hurts. Can you get the sour cream?
Daddy, I want panpapes! (pancakes)
Mommy, is this daddy's squirts? (cologne bottle in hand)
Daddy! We saw a pirate today! He's a good stranger! (Referring to the paramedic at Chick Fil A)
I see a cranky! (referring to a crane)
Dad, watcha doing with that waffle maker? (referring to the portable grill)
Mommy, will you turn on my night moon? (referring to his night light)
Sahara! Go to your candle! (kennel)
Daddy! My butt burns! It burns like a toaster!
Thursday, February 5, 2015
I farted in my mouth...and other sillies
Jace has one speed....GO.
Jace has one volume.....LOUD
Jace is my full throttle kid, just like his daddy. He likes things loud and fast! He is hilarious and even though I still don't get sleep (and now I have started melatonin therapy, but that's another blogpost) he is also loving and affectionate.
He is into knowing how EVERYTHING works. That kid has his hands on everything: the remote, the playstation controller, the space heaters, the car stereo buttons, and my personal favorite...shoving everything into an outlet! If this kid doesn't get eloctrocuted, I know I will have done my job well because it's full time with this kid.
The other day it got quiet downstairs. I called down to the basement, "Jace? Are you being good?"
I hear the pitter patter of feet, and matter of factly he tells me, "No. I was playing with the heater."
Oh this kid!
At his Grandma's the other day, she said he burped. He quickly announced, "Grandma! I farted in my mouth."
Oh boy!
He recently picked up riding the tricycle and big wheel and he is starting to fly down the sidewalk! I don't know if 2 years 7 months is advanced, but it sure feels that way. Jace is my baby, but I feel like he came out wanting to be all grown up.
He never wants to be held (unless it's bedtime or he's hurt), but even then, after hurting his knee one day I went over to hug him. He patted my back and said, "It's okay. I'm okay mommy."
Oh Jace. I love you baby boy. You are a force to be reckoned with. I only hope I can help you channel all that amazing energy!
Jace has one volume.....LOUD
Jace is my full throttle kid, just like his daddy. He likes things loud and fast! He is hilarious and even though I still don't get sleep (and now I have started melatonin therapy, but that's another blogpost) he is also loving and affectionate.
He is into knowing how EVERYTHING works. That kid has his hands on everything: the remote, the playstation controller, the space heaters, the car stereo buttons, and my personal favorite...shoving everything into an outlet! If this kid doesn't get eloctrocuted, I know I will have done my job well because it's full time with this kid.
The other day it got quiet downstairs. I called down to the basement, "Jace? Are you being good?"
I hear the pitter patter of feet, and matter of factly he tells me, "No. I was playing with the heater."
Oh this kid!
At his Grandma's the other day, she said he burped. He quickly announced, "Grandma! I farted in my mouth."
Oh boy!
He recently picked up riding the tricycle and big wheel and he is starting to fly down the sidewalk! I don't know if 2 years 7 months is advanced, but it sure feels that way. Jace is my baby, but I feel like he came out wanting to be all grown up.
He never wants to be held (unless it's bedtime or he's hurt), but even then, after hurting his knee one day I went over to hug him. He patted my back and said, "It's okay. I'm okay mommy."
Oh Jace. I love you baby boy. You are a force to be reckoned with. I only hope I can help you channel all that amazing energy!
Monday, January 19, 2015
I waive my white flag
Jace, today you broke me. Yes I realize I'm 34 and you are 2.5, but you broke me.
As an infant, you woke up every 2-3 hours around the clock. Speculations were that you had colic, and then acid reflux that you were medicated for. For a little over 8 months, I was the sole person in charge of waking up with you, because your daddy has bipolar disorder and needs to take meds that knock him out so he can sleep and function like the rest of us.
I understood this though. I did. I had to go back to work when you were six months, and I'm not quite sure how I survived on 4-5 hours per night total. Not even straight through. I made numerous paperwork errors, but God only knows how good an SLP I actually was.
You took a pacifier and finally started gaining weight, and I thanked God for the sleep!! You LOVED going to sleep (as long as you had your paci), and when you woke up at night you easily found your paci and went back to sleep. From 1-2 years old I had my best sleep ever.
After two, your sleeping habits became erratic. Closer to 2:3 you were soo demanding you get your paci, Daddy finally took it away cold turkey.
It has been downhill ever since.
We theorized I was giving you too much to drink before bed and that was what was keeping you up.
No.
Once you learned how to scale and get out of your crib, my life has been nothing but a haze again. Your dad tries to help, and he does do what he can, but I don't have prescription medication to make me sleep, so even when he takes you, I am still left wide awake. Awake to feel the alertness only a mother can feel when confronted with the cries of her own distraught baby.
Last Friday I tried to put you down for a nap, but you weren't having it. Determined to stick with the "stay in bed technique" it took me 85 times of putting you back in our crib before you finally decided to take a nap.
We tried to get you a "big boy bed" and despite my worries, bought you a bunk bed because your dad insisted.
Today is Monday, and I tried to put you down for a nap 335 times. I want to fold up in a ball and never wake up. You were so defiant. You peed on the floor twice because you stripped down naked. I tried from 1:30 to 4:30 and by then I got you up because it was time for dinner. You need to eat.
I sat crying on the floor. When daddy got home he was just mad at me. Mad the house was a wreck and mad I couldn't handle you guys today when for the next two night he would have you alone since I go to work.
I'm exhausted. I'm worn down. It would seem you have no respect for me. I prayed and prayed and prayed today. I love you so much. You are my baby Jace. My prayer to Heavenly Father is as follows:
Dear Lord, I pray you bless my family and protect them. Guide Cody and I into making the best decision for their health and well being. I pray my children grow up to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. That they accept Him as their Lord and Savior. This I pray, each day, forever and ever, Amen.
Oh Jace, I love you. I feel inept at raising you. If only there were a manual I would follow it down to the last punctuation.
Above all, know that I love you. I always will. You are my baby and nothing can change that. I pray I raise you right. This I ask in Jesus' name.
Amen.
As an infant, you woke up every 2-3 hours around the clock. Speculations were that you had colic, and then acid reflux that you were medicated for. For a little over 8 months, I was the sole person in charge of waking up with you, because your daddy has bipolar disorder and needs to take meds that knock him out so he can sleep and function like the rest of us.
I understood this though. I did. I had to go back to work when you were six months, and I'm not quite sure how I survived on 4-5 hours per night total. Not even straight through. I made numerous paperwork errors, but God only knows how good an SLP I actually was.
You took a pacifier and finally started gaining weight, and I thanked God for the sleep!! You LOVED going to sleep (as long as you had your paci), and when you woke up at night you easily found your paci and went back to sleep. From 1-2 years old I had my best sleep ever.
After two, your sleeping habits became erratic. Closer to 2:3 you were soo demanding you get your paci, Daddy finally took it away cold turkey.
It has been downhill ever since.
We theorized I was giving you too much to drink before bed and that was what was keeping you up.
No.
Once you learned how to scale and get out of your crib, my life has been nothing but a haze again. Your dad tries to help, and he does do what he can, but I don't have prescription medication to make me sleep, so even when he takes you, I am still left wide awake. Awake to feel the alertness only a mother can feel when confronted with the cries of her own distraught baby.
Last Friday I tried to put you down for a nap, but you weren't having it. Determined to stick with the "stay in bed technique" it took me 85 times of putting you back in our crib before you finally decided to take a nap.
We tried to get you a "big boy bed" and despite my worries, bought you a bunk bed because your dad insisted.
Today is Monday, and I tried to put you down for a nap 335 times. I want to fold up in a ball and never wake up. You were so defiant. You peed on the floor twice because you stripped down naked. I tried from 1:30 to 4:30 and by then I got you up because it was time for dinner. You need to eat.
I sat crying on the floor. When daddy got home he was just mad at me. Mad the house was a wreck and mad I couldn't handle you guys today when for the next two night he would have you alone since I go to work.
I'm exhausted. I'm worn down. It would seem you have no respect for me. I prayed and prayed and prayed today. I love you so much. You are my baby Jace. My prayer to Heavenly Father is as follows:
Dear Lord, I pray you bless my family and protect them. Guide Cody and I into making the best decision for their health and well being. I pray my children grow up to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. That they accept Him as their Lord and Savior. This I pray, each day, forever and ever, Amen.
Oh Jace, I love you. I feel inept at raising you. If only there were a manual I would follow it down to the last punctuation.
Above all, know that I love you. I always will. You are my baby and nothing can change that. I pray I raise you right. This I ask in Jesus' name.
Amen.
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