Routine, Routine, Where are you?

Where is the routine? I have a feeling we are making some progress. This week Lydia attended school on Wednesday and Friday. She struggled with some bus anxiety Wednesday morning, which was her first day to ride. Today went much better! She is our kid that doesn't do well with change/new situations. I try to prep her as much as possible with what to expect prior to a given situation. She got on without a fuss today and came off happy. She absolutely LOVES school and her teacher! This morning we had our new family meeting which went very well. They basically went over different organizations, fundraisers, and things that take place. We received a folder filled with information, and they encourage each family member to participate on a committee to become involved and get to know other parents. I decided to join the welcome committee which will begin more work in the spring. It wasn't the right time to bring up suggestions, but I did get to chit chat with the principal. She was very open when I asked her about curriculum and told me I could call or email anytime.

Lydia had soccer practice last night, and it was my turn to take her. This has been another change hard to get used to. She did much better with me. When I asked her about it, her response was, "I don't like daddy there." I honestly think she knows that there are definite boundaries with me. With Paul, because he has given in in the past, she plays into it, but who knows! Tomorrow she has a game, so I can't wait to see how that goes:)

I was able to hang out with Ava and Isaac while Lydia attended school. The dynamics are so different with Lydia gone. I am looking forward to doing things with her and Isaac. She talks so much more when Lydia isn't around:) I am hoping she continues to develop her own personality. Often times she follows Lydia's lead or is concerned with matching Lydia or Isaac's choice when it comes to little things like wearing pajamas or type of cup being used. She is such a caring, compassionate little girl, so this doesn't at all surprise me. Her latest thing is noticing similarities and differences between things.

Isaac is into EVERYTHING. We MUST keep all bathroom doors closed. He has been making car noises and driving his cars and trucks all around the floors. He LOVES to eat. I swear he is eating all the time during the day. He definitely lets us know verbally when he wants something whether it be a cell phone (which explains why my screen doesn't work right now) sitting on the table, a drink sitting on the counter, or food. His other newest thing is pointing at objects. There are many noticeable differences between him and the girls when it comes to interests and language. He doesn't babble as much but is more serious and active (although Lydia was a pretty active baby as well). Some other fun things he has discovered are climbing up Lydia's ladder to her bunk bed, climbing up our computer chair to pound on the keyboard, pushing our dining room chair over to the fridge to climb onto and take things off the refrigerator, or climb up the step stool in the girls' bathroom to snag a toothbrush and begin some good dental hygiene.

I must say I just LOVE that all of my children are SO different. It makes us who we are as a family. I also think it's important for me as a mother to remember these differences and embrace them. What works for one child is not necessarily going to work for the next. There are no rules or textbooks that you must follow (let's be honest...what schild meets ALL textbook criteria??) This is the beauty of parenthood:) I hope everyone enjoys their weekend. I am looking forward to a routine to set in soon and trying to figure out how to get myself organized in the meantime.