Training the Little Ones

I am now going to be focusing my blogging on training and parenting the little ones, Emmy, Laci, Jack, and Jesse. I need some motivation, and more consistancy and I am hoping that by focusing my writing on discipline, I will remember to place it as a priority. Parenting is not easy, but it is simple. I just need to stay on top of it, and apply what I already know. For some reason, having the first two girls pretty well trained has made me think that the last four will just learn by osmosis. I have now proven that is doesn't.

Today I will focus on my middle child.

Emmy has many character issues that I have seen for quite some time now, but have put off correcting, because surely they would work themselves out, and I was too tired to worry about it yet. She is six now, and all day today we dealt with her picking on her little sister, pushing her older sisters, and being deceptive. I finally realized that this needed to be dealt with and had her sit on her bed. She ended up having to stay there for quite a while. Even while on her bed, she was disobeying. She got into nail polish, and then had the gall to argue that she wasn't "painting", when her sisters told me she was "painting her sisters fingernails". I knew right away that she was trying to play the old Bill Clinton trick, playing with words. When she was finally able to listen and obey, she was allowed to join the rest of the family. When Dad got home, she freely shared that she had a bad day because she made bad choices. This does show some progress, but I have the feeling it can't be this easy.

Really?

I know I said I would finish later, but life happened and I figured out even more stuff that I need to share at a later date, but for today I just wanted to say that I never thought I would be here.

Where is here, you say? Here is in a confused state of wonder, questions, and despair. I think the normal world calls it "postpartum depression". I have been trying to put my finger on whether or not that would describe what I have been going through lately or not, but how can mentally confused woman really know?

So, on the advice of now 3 dear friends and my husband, I am going to talk to someone. Scary. I am not even sure why. I mean, if I really am dealing with this, it isn't that big of a deal, but really? Me? I have even fooled myself into believing that I have been handling the transition into 6 kids phenomenally. From the outside, my house is not bad, the girls are doing great in school, and my husband is not lacking (if you know what I mean). I have been able to keep the plates spinning. Can you be clinically depressed and still juggle life? I guess I am about to find out!

More training

I do believe I have stumbled upon a revelation. I need more training. As I am cleaning out our family closet, finding many things that do not belong there, I realize that most of these objects that mysteriously end up being stuffed in between clothing belong to the same child over and over again. And the next thought through my head is, man she really needs "boot camp" again. (Boot camp for us is when we take a week and focus more on discipline and training, than on anything else with that child.) Then, not even a flicker of a second later, "she's just like you", runs through my mind. CRAP. I still need more training. I need to lead by example.

I did not learn a lot of life's simpler lessons until my adult years, and I am still working on half of them. Some examples of those rules are:

• Pick up after yourself.
• Do it right the first time.
• Don't wait 'til tomorrow.
• If it's worth doing it is worth doing right.
• God is a god of order, and there is a reason for order.
  

I am an extrovert. I love the party, and I fear missing out on the fun. My daughter, Julie, is a carbon copy of me. If there is even the hint that something more exciting is happening on the other side of the wall, everything must be dropped, or at least finished extremely fast with no regards to the quality of the work, and fun must be had. I find it really humbling to say, but I am still like that. My dresser still has a pile of stuff on it, that I put there because I wanted to get on with the fun instead of taking the 3 extra steps it may take to put it in the right spot (my house is tiny). And I am doing it right now. I should be cleaning, instead I am writing, because this is more fun (and I am even taking a beating from myself). All I have to say is WOW. I think I need to chew on this some more. Back to cleaning, unless I find something else more enticing!!

My Oldest Girls

Here is a great picture of 2 of my best accomplishments. Alison (11) and Julie (9). Ali loves to draw and sing. She is a gentle and quiet spirit while still being spunky. Julie loves anything exciting and new. She will try anything once and with much vigor. She is spunky and able to put a smile any face in less than 1 second flat.

Questions

Here I am again. Day two. I am really doubting why I started this in the first place. I am excited to do it, yet why in the world would anyone want to read it? Anyway, I am going to keep pressing forward for at least a week to see if it is worth my time. I think it is, because it gives me yet one more excuse to put off cleaning :).

I didn't have to do much in the way of parenting this morning. Because of having a still nursing baby, I tend to sleep in a little every morning. The girls, Alison (11) and Julie (9), made pancakes for the littles, Emmy (5) Laci (4) and Jack (almost 2). They even brought in two for me, though a little under cooked. I can not express to you the joy it brings me when the years of consistent training and discipline pay off in the littlest ways. The girls are now beginning their school. Alison just finished her Math test and Julie is working on her Language Arts. Jack and Laci are downstairs watching a movie, and Emmy is making a card for.... I just asked her who it was for... it's for me!! My days are not always this smooth or mushy, but I don't want to dwell on the nasty days. I will get to write all about one of the bad days soon enough. Who knows, maybe even later today!!

Here is my agenda for the day....
Start my servants (dishwasher, crockpot, bread machine, etc...)
Finish my "Room and Groom" (Make bed, Do hair, Make-up)
Begin my Task list:
Laundry (Fold and Put away 2 loads)
Family Closet (Continue Sorting and Re-organizing)
Game Closet (Sort, Donate, Make room for the new)
Of course I will be interupted by school, babies, training, and lunch. Hope to get done by 3pm, so I can have some down time.
Jack is crying. I need to see what he's upset about.