Frenemings...

I just made that up.  It's a triple combination of words.  Fitting for our trio of toddlers.

Friends.

Enemies.

Siblings.

All three roles can be played out in a matter of minutes around here.  One minute they are friends, the next they are tolerant siblings, the next they are biting/screaming/crying/toy stealing enemies.  However, just as fast as they become enemies, they turn back into friends and are reading books to each other or going 'nigh-nigh' on the kitchen floor with their bedtime buddies...

Sadly, my mood can change just as quickly as theirs and I'm easily caught up in the emotion of the moment.  Usually not in a good way either.  Seriously, the ups and downs in this house are insane.  I'm working on being more of a 'constant' for them and more predictable in how I react to things.  Key words:  working on.  Poor kids.  Some days I think a tantrum is funny and other days it's inappropriate.  They never know what to expect.  Poor Clark too.  He never knows if he's coming home to a stressed- out nutcase or a calm, cool wife.   We pray each night as a family that we can be more understanding and patient with each other.  Most importantly, that we can work together.  This period of learning manners, communication, and appropriate behavior is slow going but I think we're making progress everyday.

The kids attend a church nursery for two hours each Sunday.  TWO HOURS when Clark and I sit peacefully.  The other hour is another story but again, they are learning what to do and how to act at church so we are getting there.  What's interesting is that they don't play with each other at all in nursery.  They act more as siblings than friends and totally do their own things.  Leah plays with the kitchen, Zachary is a wanderer, and Caleb finds a couple good cars and sits in the middle of the room.  I'm glad they get some time 'apart.'  Anyway, they've been coloring in nursery so I was feeling like I needed to do some of that at home as well.  That way I can reinforce teaching them how to sit, hold a crayon (not eat it), and draw on a paper.  I should probably get some cool coloring books now that I'm sitting here thinking about it.

I found that washable markers are easier for them to use, albeit much messier, but with the markers they don't have to push so hard to draw.  It took me about six minutes to tape all three papers down.  Then six minutes for them to get tired of drawing and five seconds after that for the marker stealing to begin.  Synchronized drawing anyone?

They trio was having a grand old time in the backyard with the sidewalk chalk one day, acting as the best of friends, but Caleb started collecting all the chalk. Then Zachary stole from his collection. All the while Leah was trying to sneak inside and draw on the tile. So after battling all of that I decided that chalk time was over. All the sudden I was the enemy and this was the result...