Parenting

Today was a great day. I found how wonderful a sleeping baby of seven weeks is while rocking it back and forth and kissing its little head. Of course, I've held babies before, but this was really precious. However, when he was wailing at the top of his little lungs due to being wet or hungry, I chuckled to myself with pleasure because it was "not my problem."

We have had all three kids here this week and have had many happy, chuckling moments -- particularly with our five year old son. He comes up with the cutest phrases. For example, he loved the chocolate pie my husband made. Instead of saying "I can't resist chocolate pie" he said, "I can't stand chocolate pie." No matter how I explained it, he stood his ground with his description and was so cute. He also wrote us three "books" of two stapled pages each, illustrated with drawings of his family and practiced his writing skills. He wrote on one, "I love mom and dad bcuz thaey are catuly (cuddly) at the hos (house)." We will keep it forever. Plus he has remembered to use his manners, which is a joy.

Our daughter is a gem of a girl. She is twelve, and developing her interest in modern music and friends. She receives phone calls now from her friends, which still surprises me when the ringing phone is not for one of us adults. She automatically helps when she sees tasks that need doing, which is quite remarkable for a preteen I believe.

Our other son is a handful. If anyone with ADHD reads this, or a parent of an ADHD child, I empathize with you. He is 10-1/2, and although he pretends to hear us and pretends to try to do the right thing (at least what he says), we feel like he always falls short. I know educationally that these behaviors are part of the ADHD, however, some of his choices are quite off the wall and wind up hurting other people's feelings (especially his younger brother and his best friend.) We are doing our best to be consistent with the consequences to his behavior, and help him verbalize and remember what the expectations are.

Somehow, I hope we will get through this time of parenting, and get our ten year old son through to the next stage of his life without as much turmoil as there has been. Wish us luck.