Here’s what’s been going on outdoors in our neck of the woods:
Lots of park dates and outside play for this little guy. Baby girl is content to just sleep in the baby wrap with Mama while Little Bear gets his wiggles out. Although the terrible threes subsided a little bit in the past couple of weeks (perhaps due to extra time with Daddy during our trip), they were back in full force yesterday. You know the mother you see at the park that is carrying an infant and attempting to wrangle a misbehaving toddler? A toddler that is screaming, I WON’T! I DON’T WANT TO! when she asks him to throw away his trash, then succumbs to sobs when a kind park user cleans it up in his stead and he screams, “BUT I WANTED TO THROW IT AWAY! GET IT OUT OF THE TRASH SO I CAN DO IT! *SOB*”? That mother? The one that makes you say to your friend, “she has HER hands full. A little discipline? I would be mortified if MY child ever behaved like that!” Well, I am that mother. Nice to meet you. I now sympathize with all mothers of children who misbehave in public.
After a full-fledged meltdown in the car and an early nap, Benjamin surprised me by saying, “Hey, Mama. You know what? I love you.” He doesn’t usually say that out of the blue. Made the difficult morning worth it. Thankfully, he’s been good as gold today.
Our vegetable garden is exploding with wonderful things!
Bright Light Swiss Chard has to be one of the prettiest things ever!
Tomato flowers already! I can’t wait to eat tomatoes with every meal. Daniel has grown so many seedlings of different varieties.
We’ve been eating all the lettuce we can handle. Picking lettuce for salad 10 minutes before dinner time is so fun.
Cabbages are looking lovely!
My farmer.
This was our St. Patrick’s Day feast. Guinness Beef Stew made by Daniel, Spring Salads from the garden with Strawberries, and amazing Sweet Potato Fries by our friend Kaitlin.
What are you growing in your garden these days?
Maybe I’ve already said this before, but Zach and I joke that our children are possessed (perhaps by some OTHER person’s children?) from years 3 to 5. Maybe until year 4 and a half. (We’ll have to see.)
I think there must be some kind of reason/forethought/mild self-awareness combination that kicks in around 5.
I didn’t know WHAT to do with Laith at that age. Sometimes he was so sweet and golden and delightful, and then he’d be insane. Really. Now Bela (3.5) is in the throes of threehood, and fourhood? Sometimes, if Zach is around, we fight laughter – because of the nonsense!
So, all I have to say is: correct him, remind him of what is right, be gentle, wait patiently, don’t blame yourself, try not to be embarrassed, press on and on and on, and sooner rather than later he’ll have some sense.
Your children are lovely, as is your garden.
Oh, Amy. I wished you lived closer. You always give great advice.
Wow-what an awesome picture. You are such a talented photographer! 😉
Hi, I am new to your blog. I found my way here through Simple Mom and have been LOVING all of your book links and garden links. I love your chickens! I have a 6, 5, 3, and 1 year old and I have to agree that the threes are the worst. There is just no rhyme or reason to their behavior and I agree with what Amy said. Gentleness and patience go a LONG way. And I have to say that I read The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery over the weekend, thanks to the comments in your “books for girls” post, and I absolutely loved it. So thanks! God Bless and thanks for sharing your thoughts. 🙂
Thanks, Danae! It makes me feel so much better that other moms have experienced the madness of “the threes,” and there’s a chance I’m not a mothering failure. I have GOT to read The Blue Castle! I’m watching the Anne miniseries for the bazillionth time and it makes me want to read more Montgomery.
I’m a new reader (from Simple Mom). We have things in common…A Very Challenging 3 Year Old lives here, too. To be honest, I think 3 1/2 is worse than the “terrible twos” I heard so much about. No garden yet. I’ve always wanted one, but we have never owned our own ground until last summer (so I’ve always stuck to pots with tomatoes and peppers). Your veggies look yummy, and your Lent centerpiece is lovely…nice to meet you.
Thanks for stopping by my blog, Abbey! Sounds like I’m in good company with the tricky age of Three. I had grand plans about all the Lenten activities we would do and so far we’ve just made that centerpiece and hung purple fabric on the crucifixes. There’s always next year, right? 🙂 And as for the garden, my husband, the gardener, gets all the credit. I just gobble up all the veggies!
I have been that mother (and imagine I will continue to be!) It usually helps to take a deep breath and remind myself that this too shall pass, and that most everyone has been That Mother at some point or another. 🙂
My garden is currently growing compost, but I live way north and I’m scared to put anything in yet, even though we are having a warm spell. I’m starting some seedlings indoors, though.
That’s a good word, for sure: THIS TOO SHALL PASS. I try to focus on days when he’s golden (and there are many!) instead of despairing that he’ll be in monster mode forever. But it’s kind of like when you have a colicky newborn and people tell you the baby won’t always cry 12 hours a day…you just can’t completely believe it.
Oy, I have SO been that mother! Some days I just think of that Erma Bombeck quote about understanding why some animals eat their young.
Perhaps you should put yourself in time-out when you’re overwhelmed or have had enough like another mom I read about. And, as a punishment, I think you should make yourself eat candy.
Haha, I love my punishment, Mary Susan! I have tried to do a mommy time-out occasionally. Benjamin HATES it when he can’t see me though, so the banging on my bedroom door doesn’t do much to lower my blood pressure. We’re having a GOOD day today. I even braved the grocery store with both kids in tow.
Hi, I’m new here. Found this blog from Catholic Mothers. We have 4 children. Two boys (14 & 8) and two girls (10 & 6) my suggestion would be to change the scene. Turn on some music, dance and sing around and find a new perspective. It won’t change the behavior, but it will change the mood. Sometimes that’s all that is needed. 🙂 I find that if things are not changing after a few attempts of gentle reminding and redirection – then I need to just stop and start fresh. Otherwise we (child and mom) feel like beating our heads against the wall.