Thursday, July 25, 2013

Scatterbrained

  • The combination of No Preschool and No Friends is hellacious.  I am so bored.  And lonely.  And bored.  And, actually, really unhappy.  If I don't leave the house with the kids twice a day, all hell breaks loose, but sometimes it takes Bug an hour to stop screaming and put his GODSDAMNED pants on. And as I don't see why I should reward his bad behavior by going somewhere fun, we don't, pantless.  No, he needs to shut the fuck up and put his pants on.  (Of course I do not say this to him.)
  • I think I may have bruised his leg on the railing today, dragging him up the stairs screaming for timeout #5, see also: pushing brother to floor.  Something has to change here.   I am going to fucking lose my mind any minute now.
  • Number of fun indoor places here: One.  The library.  
  • Number of times it rained right as we were trying to go to the park: Five.
  • Number of days it has been very hot and very humid so far: All of them.
  • Number of time-outs JUST TODAY for shoving his little brother onto the floor: five.
  • Also there was an ER trip last week because Bug dislocated Tatoe's elbow.  It cost me $200.
  • Why no, I CAN'T leave them alone together for more than two minutes.
  • No, really, Bug needs to be more gentle.  Or I will lock HIM in the closet and drink an entire bottle of wine.
  • Except I have to take care of the other one, so I can't.
  • Spouse also suffers from magical-thinking delusion that we would move and Everything Would Be Better.  Instead, we have switched: he loves his job, and I hate being home with the kids.

13 comments:

  1. Sounds dreadful! You have my utter sympathy. Children are monsters. A friend of mine keeps recommending "peaceful parenting" techniques to me and while I often find recommendations unbearable, they do seem to work on RR. Here's one link: http://www.ahaparenting.com/_blog/Parenting_Blog/post/Positive_reinforcement_Better_Behaved_child/ Mind, I'm not taking a Susie Positivity position here. But hell, what's 3 days for an experiment!

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    1. Thanks! I tried it today... we will see how long I can keep my shit together enough to be positive.

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  2. C1 and C2 were hanging off the sides of the cart at Aldi, and it was a day they were restocking and there were pallets of stuff in the aisles. After the 10th repetition of, "Get off the cart" C2 got bumped into a shelf and C1 was scraped past a pallet of water softener salt. C1 has a scrape by his ear that is scabbed over and "it hurts when I poke it, Mommy." Yes, honey. Next time, please use your ears and no one will get hurt. I feel a little bad. But really, I TOLD YOU to get OFF.

    Oh, and this week C1 decided to climb a 4' chain-link fence instead of going through the gate. He tripped, fell, rolled, and bonked his head on the ground. (Just a little.) "Oh, it hurts so much, waaaaaa!" There, there. Next time, please use the gate.

    Hmm, what about sending Bug to your father for a week (or two!). Grandparent time is very important, and he's semi-retired, right? A long weekend? Anything? I'd even consider the in-laws at this point. Perhaps you're not yet that desperate.

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    1. CRITTERS OH GOD. I am definitely not desperate enough for in-laws yet, and I'm a little worried about my father's sanity after a week of Bug, but perhaps a weekend! (Everyone's travelling for most of August though; we'll have to wait.)

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  3. Bah. Hot and humid and rainy alone sound horrible.
    Is there anything you can have Bug do to lose some of his extra energy that otherwise goes into screaming and pushing his brother? Although I'm sure that would be much easier without rain, like running around the park...
    Hang in there. Hope things get better soon.

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    1. Mostly we use 'running around at the park.' Or we used to do tot soccer, but it's 5 and up here (he's not 5). I suppose tot aerobics? Is that a thing? With a video maybe! We have been taking him to the park after dinner every day to kick a soccer ball... we'll see how long we can keep it up!

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  4. Anonymous5:55 PM

    OMG, right there with you, except totally not, because it's only a few hours a week for me, and not my whole life, plus I didn't just relocate. Which is a long-winded way of saying SORRY.

    You know that I am similarly picky in who I will hang out with and sad and lonely. So maybe you will not be all SHUT UP when I tell you I recently joined a meetup.com group. I am attending an event on Monday (YES. I WILL NOT CHICKEN OUT.) and have already discovered two people who live in my neighborhood... Maybe it's worth a shot? And if there's no group that appeals, don't assume there aren't lots of people who are desperate for one. You seem like the kind of woman who could start her own.

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    1. Funny you should say that! I already joined the moms' group here - there's only one - and I checked meetup like a crazy person but I couldn't find anything but a noon book club which sounded fantastic but I'd have to pay a babysitter with my nonexistent income, plus Bug has preschool until noon starting in September.

      But! Perhaps I could find/start a knitting group! I'm not one of those crazed really good knitters, but I find I can do it for five minutes at a time without wanting to die when I'm interrupted, you know? And knitters tend to be very enthusiastic. Or... I don't really do any other portable crafts. (I just learned that meetup accounts cost $12/month; bah.) Maybe when I get back I will try to start one. :)

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  5. Anonymous8:48 PM

    Sorry it's so hard!!!!

    I recently found some punching balloons for relieving stress (kind of reminds me of that show Romper Room that used to be on when I was a tiny kid--maybe it was in re-runs?;) ).

    I was thinking my kids might even like to use them too.

    --Neighbor Lady

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  6. oh god. I so so feel for you. it reminds me exactly of life last year. now I have ANOTHER ONE, but I also have an au pair, so it is somewhat - only somewhat, mind you - easier. actually, scrap that, it's still an almighty pain in the tits. the fighting / squabbling / teasing just drives me INSANE. and this school holiday lark is just a nightmare. I wish I had some great advice for you, but I don't. the days just take forever to pass when you're home alone with kids. wine helps. seriously. buy yourself a few really nice bottles - it's not like you're spending any other money on yourself, after all - and have a couple of glasses as your reward (for not killing them. or yourself) once they're in bed. also, I find that if I can bear the mess (which usually I can't) putting my older one outside with a large bucket of water, a cloth, and something to "clean" - something very large and intricate - occupies him for a while, and makes him feel like he's accomplished something. anyway. my huge sympathies. apparently it gets better. it'd fucking better.

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    1. I would love nothing better than to toss the elder one outdoors but we are afflicted with MOSQUITOES like you would not believe and he gets these three-inch welts every time he gets bitten, and then sometimes they get infected. THE SOUTH OH MY GOD. However, I will have to try some variation on this.....

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  7. ARRRGH finally at a real computer for five minutes and comment was eaten. It involved the Tomten, wine, commiseration, and a small, parenthetical panic about what I am getting myself into. And a wish we were close enough to visit.

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  8. You SO have my sympathy (and I am SO happy that we are going to see you soon soon soon!) -- re: mosquitos, we have had pretty good success so far with the Mosquito Squad people who come spray your yard every few weeks to KILL KILL KILL the bloodsuckers (and though this does cost money, perhaps the grandparents or such would be willing to subsidize so the wee ones can run around outside and you can retain some modicum of sanity?! dunno if there are any compelling options for do-it-yourself mosquito destruction on your premises other than paying someone to spray, but I am sure that if there are then you would be the one to know how to implement them, o omnicompetent science-crafty-mom-person!)

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