weekend joys and crisis

These past 2 weekends have been wonderful I absolutely love having Dan home. This weekend we enjoyed watching this:We borrowed it from the library and I think that we've watched it at least 12 times now. Sophie just loves the "dancine prinneses." And so does Dan... if you can imagine. There is one part where one of the princesses says, "I wish I could dance with a handsome prince too!" No idea why, this line is Sophie's favorite part and she has been saying, "I wish dance prin two!!" constantly.

But, I digress. Dan's just 2 weeks into the semester and I've survived my first 2 weeks home alone with both kids. Honestly, adding another child to our family was a bigger adjustment than I anticipated. (sorry to all of my friends pregnant with their 2nd child) I'm still figuring out how to take care of 2 children AND myself. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade the joy my children bring me for anything. But I really do cherish the weekends when I have Dan home to lighten the load. During the week I find myself lingering in the shower for longer so I can enjoy the time to myself, yeah one of the kids could be crying... but I can't hear them so I don't have to worry about it!! Most of the time things are under control but there are PLENTY moments of chaos as well. I feel recharged and ready to tackle another week after I have Dan's help for a few days, he does such a wonderful job.

Speaking of chaotic moments, I just about lost it this Sunday...

Sacrament meeting is about to begin when we sit down with one child who needs to go out and nurse any minute (I am hoping to hold her off until after I can take the sacrament) and the other whose lip is still quivering since she has been crying for 2 hours in nursery (a new development since Tessa's arrival). Dan is asked to pass the sacrament and leaves to go sit up front. Cue the almost two-year-old's tears...

She screams "daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy!!" I hand Tessa to a friend sitting behind us and hold the emotional basket case and distract her with some crackers. After a few emotional sightings of her father during the administration of the sacrament Dan is back to help me so I can go feed the now crying Tessa, HURRAY!

I quickly whisk Tessa away and head for the mother's room. NOT TOO FAST!! I turn around in the foyer and Dan is behind me, scaring me a little since I didn't know he followed me out. He informs me that he is performing in the choir after the first speaker and doesn't know what to do with Sophie. So lucky me, I get both kids in the mother's room with me. Thankfully there are some toys in our mother's room, so I pull a few out for Sophie and start to feed Tessa. Sophie snubs the toys and begins to throw a tantrum asking for her father again. I put Tessa down so I can hurry and close the door that was slightly ajar, locking myself in the room with Sophie the monster. I go back to my crying baby (Tessa) to continue feeding her and attempt to hold Sophie at the same time to comfort her. This only makes the crying LOUDER due to her close proximity. Cue the Sophie explosion...

Sigh... she climbs down and continues to cry by the door, adding some rather impressive kicking. I just want to start crying too wondering how much longer it will be until Dan is finished. It's then I realize something awful... we didn't arrange a Sophie pick up for when he was done singing, for all he knows Sophie is happily playing with toys while Tessa eats and I catch a cat nap!!! Now I really feel like crying, what if he's not coming at all? I continue to try and talk Sophie into either playing with the toys or sitting with me to no avail for what seems like 30 mins. Until I can't take it any more. I set Tessa down in the chair grab my screaming banshee (aka - Sophie) and barrel into the chapel to throw her at Dan. (Asking a friend on the way to go keep and eye on Tessa for me.)

What do I see?? NO DAN!! The choir has returned to their seats but Dan isn't there. So after making a bit of a spectacle by bringing the banshee into the meeting and asking where Dan was I retreat back to the foyer. And proceed to storm down the hall prepared to chuck Sophie into the men's bathroom. But then I see him... Dan's in the hall shooting the breeze with a friend!!!!! I feel as though I have been fighting World War IV just down the hall and he's engaging in casual conversation. I all but throw her at him and ask him where he's been. The poor man has no idea about WWIV and is no wonder confused and scared by my hostility, he tells me they just got done singing. "Yeah right," I retort under my breath as I run back to the Mother's room.

These situations aren't as exaggerated in the privacy of our own home. I don't do well under stress sometimes and often take everything out on my dear husband. Sorry Dan. I'm afraid this post doesn't make much sense in the end since I started out saying how much I enjoy the weekends and getting recharged and then decided to share a story involving a lot of stress and chaos that took place over the weekend... oh well! I guess the truth is that there is chaos and crisis not matter what day of the week it is, but having someone to share it with (or blame things on) helps out a lot!

In other random news (just for journaling purposes) Sophie pooped on the potty Sunday for the first time. We are not potty training her yet (although she is ready, I AM NOT) but since she came to me and told me she needed to poo (by saying, "stinky") I decided she might as well do it on the toilet instead of her diaper. We made a big deal and were really excited but she wasn't sure what was going on. Any potty training advice? I am open to suggestions as we anticipate this momentous occasion.