Rainy Day Update

Things have been so busy, both at work and home, that I have sort of been neglecting to blog about it all. It is a miserable, rainy day out there, and I'm not motivated to do anything too productive today, so I figured it was a good time to catch up.

One thing I've been meaning to blog about and haven't to date is the fact that Eden has stopped sucking her thumb. I am completely amazed by this; given how much of a comfort the whole suck on thumb and stroke taggie routine is for her, I was sure it was something we were just going to have to ride out until she was big enough to be reasoned with. I was so wrong. Or, maybe not wrong, maybe I just underestimated her maturity.

She had a routine dentist visit a few weeks ago, at which point the dentist commented that her thumb was causing her significant overbite (obviously) and said it was nothing to worry about at this point, but told her she should stop sucking her thumb so her teeth could straighten out. No joke, that very night, she stopped. Twice, she caught herself about to put her thumb in her mouth and stopped. At bedtime, she deliberately put her hand under her pillow so she wouldn't accidentally put it in her mouth. It took her about two days to completely break the habit. Amazing! And, while I do miss that little slurping sound she would make and the look of her asleep with her thumb in her mouth, I am loving that her thumb is no longer wrinkly and her teeth have already started moving back. So proud of my girl!

As a side effect, now that she no longer sucks her thumb, she is rapidly losing interest in her taggie. I guess it was a package deal. At night, she asks me to put Taggie next to her bed, and she really doesn't touch it at all during the day. She is growing up so fast. :) and :(

She also loves -- LOVES -- school. She is so excited to go each day and comes home full of excitement about what they did that day, and what they are doing the next day. She is making friends (mostly boys, which is interesting, as it is the complete opposite of Sadie.) and just all around having a good time.

So, that's the latest on Eden.

As for Sadie, I guess one word sums it up for her lately: busy. Between school, soccer, brownies, playdates, birthday parties and sleepovers, the girl runs around a lot. She seems to enjoy it all (well, ok, she doesn't love school, but she doesn't hate it, either), and truthfully, I love it vicariously through her.

Speaking of busy, with Sadie being so busy, and having the girls at two different schools, I am, myself, learning what it is like to be stretched thin. I've been trying to be involved at both of their schools, as well as with the brownie troop and the soccer team. Add that on to a full-time job, plus honoring a goal I set for myself to make time for the gym, plus the pressure I put on myself to have us eat dinner together as a family and many of my days are crazy. Yesterday was a good example - I was up and out at the gym by 6:30. Back home at 7:30 to get the girls up and ready for school At work by 9, then at Sadie's school from noon to 1 to work the school store. Back at work until 5, then at soccer practice until 6:30. We didn't even sit down for dinner until nearly 7:30. Needless to say, I was exhausted last night. This whole week has been a blur of days like that. I guess over the next few weeks, I'm going to have to figure out realistically what I can, and can't, do. I really want to do it all. I know I'm not alone in this struggle.

Friday Nights with Eden

Ever since I became a mother of two, I have lamented over how there is never quite enough of me to go around. Someone always seems to have to wait, or share their time. I know this is simply a part of being in a family, and that the benefits of having a sister far outweigh this negative, for both girls. But still. It is frustrating. For all of us, at one time or another.

I've always felt especially bad about what Eden misses out on. I know some parents obsess over how the older sibling has to sacrifice the one-on-one relationship with parents once a second comes along, and of course, I do care about that. But, even more, I think I have always felt that Sadie had 3+ years of having us to herself, and certainly that undiluted relationship had a profound impact on who she has become (for better or for worse, I suppose). And, I've always regretted that Eden could never have that same experience. Sure, she gets one-on-one time with either of us throughout the week, but there is a big difference between time alone with mom or dad and time alone with both mom and dad, if that makes sense.

Anyway, that was a pretty long preamble to say that as Sadie's social life is exploding, a really nice side effect is that Evan and I are getting to spend time as a party of three with Eden. And, it is wonderful - it really does remind me of our time with Sadie before Eden joined us. The past two Friday evenings, we've gone out as a threesome while Sadie was otherwise occupied (side note: when did Friday night become the new birthday party time?). Two weeks ago, we took her to Sawa for sushi - something we probably just would never do with two kids in tow. She loved the experience, and it was obvious, she loved the undivided attention. Last Friday, we were a bit more mundane, and simply took her grocery shopping; again, it was an experience reminiscent of our time with just Sadie. We used to take her grocery shopping all the time - once we had two kids, it just became easier for one of us to go and one to stay home with the kids. Anyway, again, it was just a fun evening - we let her pick out out a few extra treats at the store and then came home and made sundaes.

I'm guessing that these opportunities will continue to increase, at least until Eden hits the age where she'll have plans and then it will be just Evan and me (hard to imagine!). I'm already looking forward to my next Friday Night with Eden (in two weeks) and planning something good.