Conference Weekend
Saturday
Today has been a really great day! The kids actually let me sleep in until 7. I know that doesn't sound like sleeping in, but since they've been getting up before 6 all week, it was nice. We had a fun morning just playing together and enjoying each other's company. An hour or so before the first session started Dean and Dean-o- went out to the store to get some stuff that Dean needed for school, and Andrew and I went out for a walk. When DJ was this age I used to take him out for a walk to get the mail every day. We had to walk to the other side of the apartment complex and up the stairs into the mail room, so it was a pretty good walk for a one year old. I never get to do that with Andrew. Usually when we go for a walk I have DJ with me and Andrew is always in the stroller. So today I decided to take Andrew for a walk. We walked down the street to the corner, and back, but it was great. Andrew was so excited and pointing at everything, picking things up and showing them to me as though he were asking me what they were, and overall just super excited. We got back five minutes before ten, at the same time Dean got back. We put Andrew down for a nap and settled in to watch Conference.
Ever since Deano was born I haven't really been able to pay much attention to conference so I was expecting the same today, but much to my surprise Dean-o- snuggled in next to me and eagerly watched conference. He usually throws a fit every time I try to watch a movie that isn't Curious George or Blues Clues or Veggietales, but today there were no complaints. He sat there through the opening song, and was super reverent during the prayer, and was really quiet and still through the first hour of that session. It was great. Even when he got to the point that he didn't want to watch any more he got up and was running around a bit, but he wasn't loud at all, and he wasn't pulling on my arms asking me to play with him or get him food or milk or anything. He let me watch conference, and I was able to really pay attention to the first time in a couple of years! I loved it! Those first couple of talks that focused a lot on the family and children really kinda hit me, especially since I had my two year old snuggled up against me watching General Conference with me at the time. I thought that was really cool.
As soon as the session ended, Andrew woke up and DJ got riled up again. We made some sandwiches, hooked up the bike trailer and rode our bikes to the park where we had a picnic, played on the playground, watched some airplanes take off, kicked a soccer ball around, and had a great time. We headed home a little later than we should have, but we arrived home at exactly 2:00, and hurried to put both kids down for a nap. Andrew was a little resistant, but he still went to sleep fairly easily, so I got to pay good attention to the second session as well!
Elder Scott's talk hit me in particular. I have been trying to decide whether or not I should continue to take classes next semester, and I had just about decided that I shouldn't mostly based on the fact that we can't really afford it, but then I got an e-mail saying that I got my grant which was more than enough to pay for my classes, so then I was leaning toward going again, but after listening to Elder Scott's talk I know that as much as I want to go to school, and as much as I love it, and it really is good for me, it's not the right thing for me to do right now. There are so many other things that I need to be doing, and while I'm so focused on school, and homework, and getting kids to and from a babysitter several times a day, too many of the important things have been falling between the cracks. So next semester I won't be signing up for classes, and I'm going to get my house back in order, and I'm going to get myself and my priorities back in order.
Again, just as conference ended, Andrew woke up. That kid couldn't possibly have better timing. Dean went out for a motorcycle ride and I spent the afternoon playing with Andrew. He really doesn't get as much one on one attention from me as I should probably give him. He isn't nearly as clingy as DJ was at this age, and most of the time he's just content to go off and play by himself, and I usually let him and instead use that time to do homework. So today I played with Andrew. He really has such a cute personality, and he is getting so smart and I sorta feel like I'm missing it. I was with DJ every moment at this age, and with Andrew I haven't been hardly at all.
DJ took a super long nap. I've been trying to wake him up aroun4:30 if he's not already up by then, but today he slept until 6 until I finally decided to go ahead and get him up. We ate a quick dinner, (Dean went straight from his motorcycle ride to the priesthood session of conference) and then we walked down to the park down the street from us. Andrew was in the umbrella stroller, and DJ pushed it all the way to the park. Of course, we had to stop and pet our neighbor's super friendly cat on the way there, and again on the way back, and we played on the playground for well over an hour, and then we just ran around the bases on the baseball field a few times... DJ had lots of fun with that. We ended up getting home from the park around the same time that Dean got back from the priesthood session.
We've been having trouble getting the kids to go to sleep these last few days, and tonight was no different. We put them in the same bedroom, which worked out fine for the first week or two, but these last few days, DJ has been keeping Andrew up until 10, or 11 at night. Tonight was another late one. DJ kept going in and out of their room getting toys and laughing, and playing and just having way too much fun for that late at night. So tonight, we put a cover on the doorknob, so he can't get out, we hoped that would help. We also took the table out of their room which DJ had been using to stand on to turn on the light. Somehow DJ managed to still turn on the light again and again. And we were all up really late.
Sunday
After not getting to sleep until nearly midnight, Andrew woke up screaming around 2:30. I still have no idea what was wrong. It took me until nearly 4:30 to get him to go back to sleep. In the meantime DJ woke up again and the light battle began again. As a result, when we all got up for the day at 6 am I was completely exhausted. Dean made breakfast, and kids got baths, then around 9 I put Andrew down for an early nap. I was hoping he would sleep through conference again, but he got so little sleep last night, he wasn't going to make it until ten. I took that hour to take a nap myself.
Dean woke me up just as conference was starting, and a little to my surprise, I was awake and alert enough to enjoy it. My favorite part was when President Uchtdorf said "Stop it!" Sometimes it really is that simple. I have so many bad habits. Most of them aren't judging others and holding grudges, but there are so many other things that I do or don't do, and maybe instead of saying that I'll do better eventually, I just need to stop it! Now! So, with that in mind, combined with some of the decisions I made yesterday, hopefully I'll be doing some real changing in the next little while.
DJ was not quite as cooperative this session as he was yesterday, but I was still able to pay attention to most of it. It was just at the very end when President Monson was talking that he was getting really cranky. Andrew woke up right around then too, so I completely missed that talk.
In between sessions after we ate some lunch, we went up to the temple and walked around it a little. DJ loves the temple. Every time he sees it he gets so excited, but we've never actually gotten them out of the car at the temple. It was kinda windy and got pretty cold, and DJ had no concept of reverence, so we didn't end up staying very long. We tried to talk to him and explain to him that this was Heavenly Father's house and so we need to be quiet like when we're praying to him, but I don't think he understood at all.
Both of the kids started falling asleep on the way home, so it was really easy putting them both down for naps. Once again I got to pay attention! It was wonderful! I wasn't ready for it to be over, and I found myself disappointed that there wasn't another session. Maybe I'll have to go back and watch it again later.
Both of the kids woke up just as it was ending, and they were both in a bad mood. Andrew seemed to regain whatever was bothering him last night that wouldn't let him sleep. I'm starting to think now that he's got an earache or something. Dean thinks he's teething, but I don't see any evidence of that. Dean made dinner, and the two of us ate while both kids screamed. DJ was upset that we wouldn't let him watch a movie, and I still have no idea what was wrong with Andrew.
Bed time couldn't come soon enough, but because of last night's troubles I took everything out of the kids' room, and put duct tape over the light switch so DJ can't turn it on again. Shortly after we put them down I heard DJ trying to open to door, and he cried a bit when he couldn't get it open, and probably some more when he discovered that he couldn't turn on the light either, but after just a couple of minutes of doorknob rattling and crying, I haven't heard another peep out of them!
I think now I'll go to bed early. Especially if Andrew wakes up in the night again, I'm going to need all the sleep I can get. This week is the very last week of the semester. In this time I have to write a paper about King Arthur, read 50 pages about someone who may or may not be King Arthur, record a video about my teaching philosophy, analyze a video of my own teaching, and I need to find two more people to interview for another project... not to mention get the dishes done, the laundry washed and folded, the toys put away, the floor swept/moped/vacuumed, kids fed, entertained, and cared for, and possibly taken to the doctor if Andrew keeps screaming for no identifiable reason.... I'm kinda relieved that I'm not going to school next semester.
In the meantime Dean has also decided that school is not the right thing for him to be doing right now either. He has signed up for classes for next semester just in case he can't find a job by then, but finding a job has now taken top priority. He applied for a job in Green River Wyoming that he thinks he has a good chance of getting. It pays pretty well, and he has lots of friends that work for the company, so it looks like we might be moving to Wyoming within the next few months... plans seem to change so often though.
Today has been a really great day! The kids actually let me sleep in until 7. I know that doesn't sound like sleeping in, but since they've been getting up before 6 all week, it was nice. We had a fun morning just playing together and enjoying each other's company. An hour or so before the first session started Dean and Dean-o- went out to the store to get some stuff that Dean needed for school, and Andrew and I went out for a walk. When DJ was this age I used to take him out for a walk to get the mail every day. We had to walk to the other side of the apartment complex and up the stairs into the mail room, so it was a pretty good walk for a one year old. I never get to do that with Andrew. Usually when we go for a walk I have DJ with me and Andrew is always in the stroller. So today I decided to take Andrew for a walk. We walked down the street to the corner, and back, but it was great. Andrew was so excited and pointing at everything, picking things up and showing them to me as though he were asking me what they were, and overall just super excited. We got back five minutes before ten, at the same time Dean got back. We put Andrew down for a nap and settled in to watch Conference.
Ever since Deano was born I haven't really been able to pay much attention to conference so I was expecting the same today, but much to my surprise Dean-o- snuggled in next to me and eagerly watched conference. He usually throws a fit every time I try to watch a movie that isn't Curious George or Blues Clues or Veggietales, but today there were no complaints. He sat there through the opening song, and was super reverent during the prayer, and was really quiet and still through the first hour of that session. It was great. Even when he got to the point that he didn't want to watch any more he got up and was running around a bit, but he wasn't loud at all, and he wasn't pulling on my arms asking me to play with him or get him food or milk or anything. He let me watch conference, and I was able to really pay attention to the first time in a couple of years! I loved it! Those first couple of talks that focused a lot on the family and children really kinda hit me, especially since I had my two year old snuggled up against me watching General Conference with me at the time. I thought that was really cool.
As soon as the session ended, Andrew woke up and DJ got riled up again. We made some sandwiches, hooked up the bike trailer and rode our bikes to the park where we had a picnic, played on the playground, watched some airplanes take off, kicked a soccer ball around, and had a great time. We headed home a little later than we should have, but we arrived home at exactly 2:00, and hurried to put both kids down for a nap. Andrew was a little resistant, but he still went to sleep fairly easily, so I got to pay good attention to the second session as well!
Elder Scott's talk hit me in particular. I have been trying to decide whether or not I should continue to take classes next semester, and I had just about decided that I shouldn't mostly based on the fact that we can't really afford it, but then I got an e-mail saying that I got my grant which was more than enough to pay for my classes, so then I was leaning toward going again, but after listening to Elder Scott's talk I know that as much as I want to go to school, and as much as I love it, and it really is good for me, it's not the right thing for me to do right now. There are so many other things that I need to be doing, and while I'm so focused on school, and homework, and getting kids to and from a babysitter several times a day, too many of the important things have been falling between the cracks. So next semester I won't be signing up for classes, and I'm going to get my house back in order, and I'm going to get myself and my priorities back in order.
Again, just as conference ended, Andrew woke up. That kid couldn't possibly have better timing. Dean went out for a motorcycle ride and I spent the afternoon playing with Andrew. He really doesn't get as much one on one attention from me as I should probably give him. He isn't nearly as clingy as DJ was at this age, and most of the time he's just content to go off and play by himself, and I usually let him and instead use that time to do homework. So today I played with Andrew. He really has such a cute personality, and he is getting so smart and I sorta feel like I'm missing it. I was with DJ every moment at this age, and with Andrew I haven't been hardly at all.
DJ took a super long nap. I've been trying to wake him up aroun4:30 if he's not already up by then, but today he slept until 6 until I finally decided to go ahead and get him up. We ate a quick dinner, (Dean went straight from his motorcycle ride to the priesthood session of conference) and then we walked down to the park down the street from us. Andrew was in the umbrella stroller, and DJ pushed it all the way to the park. Of course, we had to stop and pet our neighbor's super friendly cat on the way there, and again on the way back, and we played on the playground for well over an hour, and then we just ran around the bases on the baseball field a few times... DJ had lots of fun with that. We ended up getting home from the park around the same time that Dean got back from the priesthood session.
We've been having trouble getting the kids to go to sleep these last few days, and tonight was no different. We put them in the same bedroom, which worked out fine for the first week or two, but these last few days, DJ has been keeping Andrew up until 10, or 11 at night. Tonight was another late one. DJ kept going in and out of their room getting toys and laughing, and playing and just having way too much fun for that late at night. So tonight, we put a cover on the doorknob, so he can't get out, we hoped that would help. We also took the table out of their room which DJ had been using to stand on to turn on the light. Somehow DJ managed to still turn on the light again and again. And we were all up really late.
Sunday
After not getting to sleep until nearly midnight, Andrew woke up screaming around 2:30. I still have no idea what was wrong. It took me until nearly 4:30 to get him to go back to sleep. In the meantime DJ woke up again and the light battle began again. As a result, when we all got up for the day at 6 am I was completely exhausted. Dean made breakfast, and kids got baths, then around 9 I put Andrew down for an early nap. I was hoping he would sleep through conference again, but he got so little sleep last night, he wasn't going to make it until ten. I took that hour to take a nap myself.
Dean woke me up just as conference was starting, and a little to my surprise, I was awake and alert enough to enjoy it. My favorite part was when President Uchtdorf said "Stop it!" Sometimes it really is that simple. I have so many bad habits. Most of them aren't judging others and holding grudges, but there are so many other things that I do or don't do, and maybe instead of saying that I'll do better eventually, I just need to stop it! Now! So, with that in mind, combined with some of the decisions I made yesterday, hopefully I'll be doing some real changing in the next little while.
DJ was not quite as cooperative this session as he was yesterday, but I was still able to pay attention to most of it. It was just at the very end when President Monson was talking that he was getting really cranky. Andrew woke up right around then too, so I completely missed that talk.
In between sessions after we ate some lunch, we went up to the temple and walked around it a little. DJ loves the temple. Every time he sees it he gets so excited, but we've never actually gotten them out of the car at the temple. It was kinda windy and got pretty cold, and DJ had no concept of reverence, so we didn't end up staying very long. We tried to talk to him and explain to him that this was Heavenly Father's house and so we need to be quiet like when we're praying to him, but I don't think he understood at all.
Both of the kids started falling asleep on the way home, so it was really easy putting them both down for naps. Once again I got to pay attention! It was wonderful! I wasn't ready for it to be over, and I found myself disappointed that there wasn't another session. Maybe I'll have to go back and watch it again later.
Both of the kids woke up just as it was ending, and they were both in a bad mood. Andrew seemed to regain whatever was bothering him last night that wouldn't let him sleep. I'm starting to think now that he's got an earache or something. Dean thinks he's teething, but I don't see any evidence of that. Dean made dinner, and the two of us ate while both kids screamed. DJ was upset that we wouldn't let him watch a movie, and I still have no idea what was wrong with Andrew.
Bed time couldn't come soon enough, but because of last night's troubles I took everything out of the kids' room, and put duct tape over the light switch so DJ can't turn it on again. Shortly after we put them down I heard DJ trying to open to door, and he cried a bit when he couldn't get it open, and probably some more when he discovered that he couldn't turn on the light either, but after just a couple of minutes of doorknob rattling and crying, I haven't heard another peep out of them!
I think now I'll go to bed early. Especially if Andrew wakes up in the night again, I'm going to need all the sleep I can get. This week is the very last week of the semester. In this time I have to write a paper about King Arthur, read 50 pages about someone who may or may not be King Arthur, record a video about my teaching philosophy, analyze a video of my own teaching, and I need to find two more people to interview for another project... not to mention get the dishes done, the laundry washed and folded, the toys put away, the floor swept/moped/vacuumed, kids fed, entertained, and cared for, and possibly taken to the doctor if Andrew keeps screaming for no identifiable reason.... I'm kinda relieved that I'm not going to school next semester.
In the meantime Dean has also decided that school is not the right thing for him to be doing right now either. He has signed up for classes for next semester just in case he can't find a job by then, but finding a job has now taken top priority. He applied for a job in Green River Wyoming that he thinks he has a good chance of getting. It pays pretty well, and he has lots of friends that work for the company, so it looks like we might be moving to Wyoming within the next few months... plans seem to change so often though.
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