cold front

The house is about 60 degrees, and there's a housefly that can't seem to find it's way out of my room.  It's easier to catch or kill flies when it's cold, on the premise that they move slower.  Unfortunately my movement seems to be equally impeded and my advantage disappears.

I've come to the stark realization that Christmas is going to pounce on me, and I am not going to be ready.  And with hardly any Christmas budget I've got to use my noggin or I'm going to have one disenchanted 4-year-old.  It all feels terribly unfair, as do most aspects of being the mom.

I'm trying to eliminate foods in my diet that may increase GI discomfort for our Gentleman.  (Not because it's dire, just because I value sleep that much.)  This means no dairy, beans, chocolate, dark green veggies, strawberries, tomatoes, or citrus.  Now, can anyone tell me what I CAN eat?  Having a hard time with that one.



Sir O and the Captain have finally hit the wall of "permanent adjustment" being required, rather than a temporary one for our Gentleman's addition to life.  This means tantrums and more tantrums, and then some more tantrums.  Sometimes this makes it hard for one to remember that one is the adult, and needs to behave accordingly.  Luckily I learned a long time ago that arguing with Sir O is an exercise in futility.  Unfortunately not all the adults in his life have learned this yet.  There are other methods, they usually involve hugs or time-outs to calm him down, and then some sneaky conversation convincing Sir O that what we're trying to get him to do is entirely his own idea.

Neither of the boys has been willing to eat much in the way of meals lately.  This makes it awfully hard for me to justify preparing their meals one-handed while trying to keep our Gentleman pacified.  They may or may not have had left-over birthday cake for lunch today.  (It's carrot cake, it has a vegetable in it!)  I'm hoping I find a better balance sometime soon, and that they decide to be willing to eat again.



I keep trying to cut myself some slack and allow a sizeable window of time for all of us to adjust.  I'm realizing that what I need is not slack from myself, but from my boys.  How does one manage that?  I think I need a mediator - like the guy they bring out when there's a hostage situation.  I'm sort of a hostage until 6pm everyday, right?