help that actually helps
Today, in the 15 minutes before LB's dad came to pick him up, I was trying to get a basic tidy done of the living room. I saw two tasks that were both suited to toddler strengths: putting books on the shelf, and putting duplo blocks bag into the bag. Even better, the duplo blocks were all in the playpen, so the toddlers would be segregated and unable to interfere with each other. While they were doing this, I could organize the stuffed toys and puppets.
Except that as soon as told one toddler what to do, the other toddler would lose focus and start watching the other one.
"Pippa, put the books on the shelf."
"Okay!" *starts putting books away*
LB stares at Pippa putting away books.
*walk over to playpen* "LB, put the blocks in the bag."
LB starts putting blocks into the bag.
Pippa wanders back from the bookshelf and stands by the playpen watching.
"Pippa, please put this book on the shelf."
Pippa starts taking the book back to the shelf.
LB stops working and peers through the playpen at her.
Rinse and repeat.
It was a constant task for me just keeping them both on separate tasks. And when LB's dad came, neither task was done.
Frustrating.
It took about two minutes after LB's dad left for Pippa to finish putting the books back while I finished the blocks.
Obviously I need to change my strategy here.
I need better ways to leverage their desire and ability to help, because I'm having a tough time dealing with all these tasks. I feel like I'm barely keeping up with the minimums (making meals, washing dishes, laundry), let alone stuff like sweeping and tidying, MUCH less stuff like taking the bottles and cans to the depot.
Since The Husband works at a grocery store (which can take back for deposit anything they sell), I have tried to encourage him to take two to four cans per day to the store to return for deposit, pointing out that within a month or two we'd be down to just alcoholic bottles which could then be easily taken to the depot, but for some reason he is Super Resistant. Even if I put the cans into plastic bags and hang them so he just has to grab them. Is this embarrassing to do? I've given up, I just don't understand it...
Now that the Diclectin had conquered my nausea for the most part (I still get this extremely weird sensation sometimes where I feel like I'm going to vomit but without actually being nauseated; haven't actually vomited though), I'm left with just fatigue. Unfortunately the Diclectin actually makes the fatigue worse as one component of the medicine is a sedative.
I want to sit down with my feet up alllll day.
I talked to the midwife today and she suggested moving the "bedtime" dose to dinner time to make mornings easier. I feel like an absolute zombie in the mornings. Literally can barely keep my eyes open until about 10:30am. This is double bad because the morning is the best time to get things done with toddlers (at least my crew), the time when they're most willing to play independently while I work, and the time when they're happiest and easiest going out without any crankiness.
Bring on the second trimester PLEASE.
The Husband and I had a bit of a "who's doing more" conversation today, and this is how it ended:
Me: "What did you accomplish today?" "Oh, I grew FIVE MILLION CELLS inside my body."
The Husband: ...well when you put it like that you always win.
Edit: Made slow progress on the mittens tonight. I read the pattern wrong, and had to rip out row 4, which was nerve wracking as it was a row with increases, and I wasn't sure how to rip them out. Then when I did row 4 again, I did both increases as M1L instead of M1L then M1R. I debated whether that was alright and decided it was best to rip back and change it to M1R. So I've gotten done up to the point where one begins the thumb gusset.
The issue of how to put stitches on a piece of scrap yarn intimidates me, specifically, how long should the scrap yarn need to be, and is it a problem if it's too long? I might stop by the yarn store sometime this week if it's convenient and ask their opinion on what to do. The stitch holder just looks soooo much easier than scrap yarn. Even if I want to do scrap yarn, I need to buy a tapestry needle or a crochet hook or something. Probably the hook because I kinda want to try crochet at some point.
These mittens are going to end up being like $40 by the end of this aren't they. XD
Some quick dishes and then to bed.
Except that as soon as told one toddler what to do, the other toddler would lose focus and start watching the other one.
"Pippa, put the books on the shelf."
"Okay!" *starts putting books away*
LB stares at Pippa putting away books.
*walk over to playpen* "LB, put the blocks in the bag."
LB starts putting blocks into the bag.
Pippa wanders back from the bookshelf and stands by the playpen watching.
"Pippa, please put this book on the shelf."
Pippa starts taking the book back to the shelf.
LB stops working and peers through the playpen at her.
Rinse and repeat.
It was a constant task for me just keeping them both on separate tasks. And when LB's dad came, neither task was done.
Frustrating.
It took about two minutes after LB's dad left for Pippa to finish putting the books back while I finished the blocks.
Obviously I need to change my strategy here.
I need better ways to leverage their desire and ability to help, because I'm having a tough time dealing with all these tasks. I feel like I'm barely keeping up with the minimums (making meals, washing dishes, laundry), let alone stuff like sweeping and tidying, MUCH less stuff like taking the bottles and cans to the depot.
Since The Husband works at a grocery store (which can take back for deposit anything they sell), I have tried to encourage him to take two to four cans per day to the store to return for deposit, pointing out that within a month or two we'd be down to just alcoholic bottles which could then be easily taken to the depot, but for some reason he is Super Resistant. Even if I put the cans into plastic bags and hang them so he just has to grab them. Is this embarrassing to do? I've given up, I just don't understand it...
Now that the Diclectin had conquered my nausea for the most part (I still get this extremely weird sensation sometimes where I feel like I'm going to vomit but without actually being nauseated; haven't actually vomited though), I'm left with just fatigue. Unfortunately the Diclectin actually makes the fatigue worse as one component of the medicine is a sedative.
I want to sit down with my feet up alllll day.
I talked to the midwife today and she suggested moving the "bedtime" dose to dinner time to make mornings easier. I feel like an absolute zombie in the mornings. Literally can barely keep my eyes open until about 10:30am. This is double bad because the morning is the best time to get things done with toddlers (at least my crew), the time when they're most willing to play independently while I work, and the time when they're happiest and easiest going out without any crankiness.
Bring on the second trimester PLEASE.
The Husband and I had a bit of a "who's doing more" conversation today, and this is how it ended:
Me: "What did you accomplish today?" "Oh, I grew FIVE MILLION CELLS inside my body."
The Husband: ...well when you put it like that you always win.
Edit: Made slow progress on the mittens tonight. I read the pattern wrong, and had to rip out row 4, which was nerve wracking as it was a row with increases, and I wasn't sure how to rip them out. Then when I did row 4 again, I did both increases as M1L instead of M1L then M1R. I debated whether that was alright and decided it was best to rip back and change it to M1R. So I've gotten done up to the point where one begins the thumb gusset.
The issue of how to put stitches on a piece of scrap yarn intimidates me, specifically, how long should the scrap yarn need to be, and is it a problem if it's too long? I might stop by the yarn store sometime this week if it's convenient and ask their opinion on what to do. The stitch holder just looks soooo much easier than scrap yarn. Even if I want to do scrap yarn, I need to buy a tapestry needle or a crochet hook or something. Probably the hook because I kinda want to try crochet at some point.
These mittens are going to end up being like $40 by the end of this aren't they. XD
Some quick dishes and then to bed.