Determined

Lately we've been struggling with Luke a lot. Putting on clothes in the morning...difficult. Putting on shoes, taking a bath....difficult. Anything that he doesn't want to do at any given time, he won't do when asked, told and even threatened with time-out! He spends time in time-out, but doesn't seem to mind. Well, he doesn't like it and sometimes screams in his room as I hold the door shut (fun parenting moment)! But when he has a choice between doing what we're asking or going to time-out, he often ends up in time-out. He usually comes around and complies, but not without a struggle and only when he's ready. Don't get me wrong, for the most part he is a sweet little boy. Thank goodness he doesn't do this sh#t at school or in public, but I'm definitely struggling with him. He's determined to have power and so am I - so you can see how things get heated quickly. I'm learning to choose my battles and not fight with him over everything. I know giving kids choices can help with power struggles, but too often he chooses what he wants, which is not necessarily being offered! So we just try to get through each day without a major melt down. It's getting a little better, but when that little boy has his stubborn mind set on something, it is ever so hard to deter him. Three has (so far) been much more challenging than two!!

I did find this on a parenting website, so maybe there's some hope..."It also may help to keep in mind that stubbornness isn't always a bad thing. It can mean that your child is spirited, sure of himself, and probably demonstrates a lot of stick-to-itiveness. "

On a more positive note, he's doing great at school. This week he actually said he wanted to go to school, while Dylan was whining about not wanting go. He's making friends and feeling more integrated into the new environment. He loves riding his bike out front of the house with Dylan and the neighbors. We even have a new little boy who recently moved in (about 6 months younger than Luke) so Luke's getting some practice being the "big" guy - and he loves it!

Batter Batter Baseball

Here are a couple more shots of Dylan playing Little League Fall Ball. The season ended the other day and he's had a lot of fun. The last game was great, he got to play catcher and pitcher, which made him ever so happy. Still contemplating whether or not we'll do the spring league or just do T-ball at the YMCA for more practice. I know the spring Little League will be more competitive and I'm just not sure if I'm ready for it!

It's Been a While...

I just realized that my last post was in late August... so updates are necessary. The boys are in school and having fun despite themselves! AM drop off goes something like: "I don't want to go to school today!" [sad faces]; however they're usually happy in the afternoons when I pick them up, so it's pretty much just a morning separation thing and unfortunately they feed off of one another. Dylan started playing Little League baseball this fall and he loves it. I must say for his first time doing it, he's doing OK. His teammates all seemed to have more experience than him, but over the last couple of months he's improved quite a bit. He still needs a lot of of work (practice), but he's getting better. He seems so much older to me lately. I looked at him the other day and realized what a big boy he's becoming. We took his training wheels off of his new big bike and he's zooming all through the cul-de-sac. Luke's growing up on me too fast as well. He's always one small step behind his brother and I must say he keeps up amazingly well. I've been struggling with him a lot lately because he's so darn stubborn (aka determined). It seems like he fights me at every turn. I say go; he says stop. I say yes; he says no! But he is super cute, which is the only thing that keeps me from killing him sometimes. Both boys are pretty excited about Halloween, so we're off to the pumpkin patch!