Okay - so I think I know what you are ALL going to say to me - I told you so!
So my last few blogs have been about 1) getting back into shape, 2) running the most organised, perfect household and 3) being the excellent educator of my children I want to be.
Well, Sammy has really reminded me in the last few days/week that, no, none of those things will come before caring for him!
Little Sammy is feeding a lot - every two hours at night some nights. As well as that, up until today, he has been really really hard to settle to sleep in his cot. This has meant either wearing him in the sling all day, or either D or I resettling him lots of times (like an hour of resettling) for him to then sleep a total of half an hour before wanting another feed and then doing it all over again.
You would think, that by the fourth child, I would REMEMBER that newborns are full time jobs - no, more than full time as you don't get time off to sleep.
So I admit it - I was overly ambitious. And you know who the biggest loser is - me. I spent the last few days beating myself up because the house was not as organised as I wanted it to be, I hadn't been able to do any piano practice with Tom, I hadn't had nice chats with D over glasses of wine, I have yelled and been crabby to my children unnecessarily......
And then I realised that, yes I would have to eat humble pie - but better to admit that I had over reached and failed, than pretend like all was sunny and rosy.
Luckily today, I determined we should all get out of the house (even though the logistics of this is unspeakable) so that I could not get depressed at all that needs doing, so that I did not yell at the children because they were acting out as they were stir crazy, so that it didn't matter if S slept on me all day - as there was nothing else I had to do.
We drove to Wellington Point for a swim, play and fish & chips for lunch. It didn't start out well. We miss timed our deparature such that S was overtired so cried for 3/4 of the way there. E and W both fell asleep in the meantime (too early!) so we went for a drive to Raby Bay and Cleveland whilst they slept.
However when we got there - the breeze was cool, there was a picnic spot available for us, the fish & chips with home -rought salad and drinks was good. I sat under a tree nursing S, whilst D, T, W and E walked in the shallows and dug sand holes, and chased fish. Then we went for a play in the park, where T climbed his favourite tree. I talked to a few people there - I received the customary shocked expressions and comments about being mother of four boys.
On that note, why are four boys harder or more 'shocking' than four children of mixed gender? As I have never known any different - do you think it is much harder? And is it only harder when they are young? Surely, four girls as teenagers will be as difficult if not more so? I guess, currently, four boys is rowdier, noisier and more physical perhaps than if there were girls in the mix. Anyway, it is fun to see the looks of surprise and shock when I say yes, four boys.
We were home early, in time for lots of swimming. Also I was able to get to Aldi for the weekly food shop, make spinach and ricotta lasagne (a huge hit as a meal) and have an evening swim (replaces bathing the kids) after dinner which was magic.
S seems to sleep soundly from about 5 - 6 pm each night. This is great for getting dinner on the table, having dinner and then getting other kids to bed. But it means he is bouncing awake between 4 - 5 am each morning. He goes back to sleep about 6 - 6.30pm but all the other boys are running around then so it is hard to get back to sleep even when D gives the boys breakfast (see prior note on noise levels with boys).
So, humbly I submit to you, my readers , but probably more importantly to myself - I may not be able to stick to anything I promised in prior posts - specifically - weight loss schedule, household management, piano or other characteristics of the super/uber mum I aspire to. However I will keep trying - and I will share with you my successes and my losses.
Thank you S for the time to write this blog- he has just awoken now (9pm) - so it is feed and bath time! Ciao!Labels: keeping it real, Newborn, Overcommitting, super mum, Suzuki piano
