Another Long Week

Every week seems like it's a tough one, but then another one comes equally as challenging. Two weeks ago, Mikayla was out of school most of the week with a cold or virus. I woke up last Saturday with it and by Sunday I was in bed all day with a super high fever. I barely had the energy to walk to the bathroom. The fever broke by Monday and I was left feeling tired and with a nasty cough most of the week. We were supposed to go to the Dells for a special family time we'd been planning for awhile, but with the bad snowstorm and my health, we rescheduled weekends for the end of March. I'm feeling tons better, but am still tired and woke up with a tender lymph node again. Not sure what that's about. I have a consultation on Monday am with a thyroid specialist. Then on Friday the 13th I have an overnight stay at the sleep clinic (think I should watch a scary movie before bed since it's the 13th? Just kidding!) I'm beginning to feel a bit doubtful as to finding some health answers, yet am nervous at the same time to finding out something.

Elyana and Mikayla have been fighting more than ever this week. I think it's more Ellie's fault with immediately wanted to play with whatever Mikayla is playing with first. However, the situation always escalates when Mikayla decides to solve the problem with a screaming match. I have lost track of how many tantrums and time outs I've given Ellie this week and am beginning to wonder what else to do. At times Ellie even requests a time out, which throws me for a loop. What in the world does that mean? Either they are not effective or that she realizes she needs help calming down?

I also wanted to comment on how it makes me nuts to go somewhere with my kids. It's not the going there, it's the getting ready to go there that is ridiculous! For example, we were going to pick up Nate from the gym after work on Friday. I gave myself 45 minutes to start them getting ready. They had a snack and I got Mikayla to get her shoes on. Then, I focus on Ellie. She needed a diaper change and she refused to be changed. I finally pinned her down, threw my leg over her, and changed her. Then came for getting her shoes on. She saw me coming with the shoes and runs screaming again. While I'm struggling with Ellie AGAIN, I notice that Mikayla has taken her shoes OFF and is writing in her notebook. "What are you doing!?" I ask. "I'm writing a message to Ellie about how she should be more respectful," she replies. "Why do you need your shoes off to do that?!" I get Ellie's shoes on AND Mikayla's on and then for all 3 of us to get our coats on and out to the van. We are late of course and I'm pretty uptight . . .

On a positive note, when you feel at the end of your rope, a child always says or does something sweet or funny to help you recall why you chose to have them in the first place. My favorite this week is when we're outside at night and Ellie exclaims, "It's dark in here!" I love that she calls stars, "Twinkles." I also love that Mikayla is really into spy movies. She has watched all the Spy Kids movies. If you have seen any of them, you'd know that the spy family is called "Cortez.'" We're leaving church tonight and Mikayla sighs, "It's so hard being a Cortez she says." She seemed annoyed when I said, "I thought you were a Jones?" Also, the movies feature a sister and brother kid spies. Mikayla is constantly trying to make Ellie a spy with her so they can fight crime together. I heard Ellie screaming "NO" today and found out Kayla was trying to "force" her into wearing different disguises.

(Karin, if you're reading this, Mikayla suggested her purse you made for her should say "Cortez" on it since she is keeping her spy gear in there. I told her the M will have to do. She thinks if someone recognizes her as a spy, she can put her purse inside out and they will then NOT recognize her. This must be what Superman thought he'd accomplish with his glasses I guess. She loves her purse so much that she is sleeping with it tonight. It's a big hit, thanks!)