Help, my kids are driving me batty!

Dear Moms,

I need your help! Although I love having two daughters, I will admit that life was much simpler and more peaceful when there was only one. My girls are getting better at playing with each other, but it seems like they are constantly fighting over toys. Little Sister (LS) wants whatever Big Sister (BS) has in her hand at the moment. If she doesn't get it, she gets mad and starts whining, screaming or crying. I, the mommy and mediator, have tried several techniques, including getting BS to give into LS, making LS return the item she grabbed out of her big sister's hand, setting the timer so that each one can take a turn with the toy, and when all else fails, taking the object away from both of them.

I know that some of my blogger friends have families much larger than mine with more than two kids. How do you do it? Can you offer me some advice on getting my kids to play nicely without constantly battling it out over a toy?

Yours truly,

Ashley

Wednesday's Reflection - Robert Frost

One of my new blog friends, Karen, recently told me that the following poem is one of her husband's favorites and was inspirational in their quest to adopt their little girl, Katie. I have always loved the poem myself and thought it would be a lovely gift to share with all my friends in Blog Land. Enjoy!

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

- Robert Frost

Today is a special day!

Referral Photo



Little Sister home

One year ago today, we received the referral of our second daughter, known here in blog land as Little Sister. After waiting nearly two years, we were filled with anticipation and excitement. Big Sister was especially happy, jumping up and down as the Fed Ex truck pulled into our driveway. For months, you dream, wish and hope for a child, and suddenly it all becomes very real. Next month, we will celebrate Little Sister's second birthday, an event we look forward to sharing with her. Although our start was rough, she has turned out to be exactly the child we longed for, caring, sweet and happy. Little did we know that she would also have this great sense of humor, making us laugh all the time. Here is my own little poem to honor this special day:

Referral Day

Endless mountains of paperwork to satisfy
the powers that be;

Watching time slowly move by, never fast enough
for me;

Hearing happy news of referral day each month,
so joyful and full of glee;

Longing for the day when it's finally our turn;
it's coming, you will see.

Our turn did come and I am so very happy to have this lovely child home with me as my daughter.

Wednesday's Reflection: An adoptive mother's poem

The following poem was written by Lori Dubbs (January 29, 2000) and appears in Love's Journey 2: The Read Thread.

This Child of Mine

I see her first smile in the morning.
I kiss her goodnight.

I hear her laughter
and dry her tears.

I feel her joy and her pain,
and hug and hold her to calm her fears.

I sleep near her at night
when she is sick.

I share with her the wonder of books and music,
and the world around us.

I watch her learn,
explore and grow.

I hold her tiny hands in mine,
and marvel at the love and trust in her eyes.

I learn from her about life,
and the depth of a mother's love for her child.

I thank Him for this most precious gift.

I love her more than mere words can express,
and treasure the bond between us.

For I am her mother,
this child of mine.

Rick Springfield still rocks!

I was happy to see rocker Rick Springfield on Oprah last week. The 58 year-old General Hospital star spoke eloquently about his life growing up, his marriage and his new album, The Day After Yesterday.

Here are a few quotes from the show last week:

In 1985, Rick says he decided to leave the spotlight for awhile. "My wife was about to have our first baby, and I wanted to help raise him," he says. "So I just stopped my career and disappeared for five years while my two sons were born and became a house husband."

He doesn't regret his decision at all. "Now it was the most amazing thing that I could have done because I have an incredibly close relationship with both my boys and a great relationship with my wife," he says. "She's been through everything with me. I mean, we were dating before 'Jessie's Girl' was ever heard of, so she knows me like nobody knows me."

The first concert I ever attended was seeing Rick Springfield perform his hit, Jessie's Girl' back in the late 1980's. As a young girl, I was taken by his good looks and rocker image. Now, I am deeply impressed with his commitment to marriage and fatherhood. Nothing makes a man sexier than putting family first.

Jon & Kate: How do they do it?

Is there anyone who hasn't seen the TV show, Jon & Kate Plus 8? New episodes appear on TLC each Monday night. Discovery Health has also started airing the show. Can you even imagine starting off with a set of twins and then bringing home six more babies a few years later? That's an awful lot of diapers and bottles we are talking about here. Forget about breastfeeding! I'm overwhelmed just thinking about it all, but I have to admit that the Gosselin family seems to have parenting under control. Last night, I watched the episode where they actually took all eight children to Disney World for a family vacation. A few of Jon and Kate's adult friends came along to help out. I guess that's definitely needed for such an outing. Still, I often have wondered how do they do it? The children are not only beautiful, but also clean, neatly dressed and happy. Their mom, Kate Gosselin, offers some excellent advice that we all could benefit from, regardless of how big or small our family is with her tips for a "Smooth Household," as found on this Discovery Channel website. They include:

#1 - Organize
#2 - Shop on a budget
#3 - Prepare for outings
#4 - Count your blessings
#5 - Promote safety
#6 - Provide order
#7 - Reward your children
#8 - Make housework a family affair

Watching Jon & Kate with their family is inspiring. This couple was given literally the suprise of their lives by unexpectedly expecting six babies at once. They have handled the situation with love, patience and grace - at least from one viewer's perspective. Here's my list on why the Gosselin family appear to be so successful:

#1 - Jon and Kate are a team, committed to marriage and raising their children together.

#2 - They share a mutual faith in our lord, living as Christians.

#3 - Kate is extremely organized, hence the list above.

Quick Update

Dear Faithful Readers (all five of you),

Sorry that I haven't had much time to post lately. I have been busy applying for teaching jobs here in IL. My certificates finally arrived last week so I am good to go. All I need now is a job! I am certified to teach Elementary Education in grades K-9 and Special Teaching (K-12) as a Reading Specialist. I have been a SAHM for three years, a time I will forever treasure, but alas the time has come for me to return to work. My hope is to begin teaching again this fall when Big Sister starts kindergarten.

In other news, Little Sister (LS) has started using her potty! She is now 22 1/2 months old. Her cousin, Cutie Pie, who is also 22 months old, started using her potty a few months ago and has been doing an amazing job with it! After seeing both her cousin's potty chair and knowing that her big sister doesn't wear diapers, LS seems determined to give it a go (no pun intended!)