SacMomsClub.com

Over the last few days, Lucas and Brodie have been talking up a storm.  Lucas has been using words to describe his trucks and trains driving up, down, over, under, and through a tunnel.  Brodie is using two and three word sentences.  When I hear them talking, I almost can't believe my ears. Sometimes I can't distinguish who said what.  I'm still getting use to their own individual voices.  One of Brodie's favorite things to say while we are driving is "Go car, go!"  When a car, truck, or motorcycle drives by us, they both say, "fast!" Everyday they surprise me.  Who knows what they are going to say next!

Nap time.  Read two books.  Then off to bed.  I shut their door, and left.  After 5 minutes, Brodie stopped crying.  I thought he had fallen asleep.  Less than 5 minutes later, Lucas broke the silence with his cry for help.  I knew right away by his cry that Brodie had climbed into Lucas's bed, was on top of him, and biting. 

If Brodie wants my attention, he knows the fastest way to get me to return to any room is to bite his brother.  Brodie doesn't just do a little nibble.  He bites hard, and doesn't let go until I show up in the room.  He usually doesn't break the skin, but always leaves several sets of teeth marks, bruising, and swelling.  This afternoon, he was biting the top of Lucas's foot.  That was the end of my attempt to get them to take a nap in their room. 

We then all loaded into the car, drove to Home Depot, and within a few minutes Brodie and Lucas had fallen asleep.  I stayed with them in the car, while my husband went inside for some electrical parts.  We transferred them to their beds once we returned home. 

I am thankful Brodie has been too tired at night to bite his brother at bedtime.  Thank Goodness!  And I hope he doesn't start.

My solution to this problem? For now, I'm going to try putting Lucas to sleep in a pack n play in the master bedroom, and Brodie to sleep in his own bed with the door closed. 



 

If Brodie had his way, all he would eat are Cheerios, cereal bars, and crackers.  He has learned that if he says NO to everything set before him, he'll eventually get what he wants.  I have finally realized that I'm being taken advantage of, and I'm putting an end to it.  I know he'll initially go on a food strike, throw "O-Bar-Cracker" tantrums, but I know he won't starve.   If he gets hungry enough, he'll start eating.  The reason I know this, is in the past week, he ate an Asian stir fry, steamed vegetables and all, as if it was his favorite food.  He ate almost an entire almond butter and strawberry jam sandwich, as his he was starving.  And maybe he was, since both of those times, he wasn't offered any Cheerios or cereal bars as snacks before his meal.  This morning I made dairy free banana pancakes.  Brodie said, "wa" which means waffle, and dumped the entire plate of food upside down on the floor.  That was the end of his breakfast.  He spent the next 10-15 minutes in the playroom.  He didn't get to come back to try eating again, until he nicely said, "eat more."  Brodie's learning his manners, and I'm learning how to be a better Mom. 

Night 2 of sleep boot camp was put on hold, but for a good reason.  We made went to visit a close friend in the hospital.  Lucas and Brodie both fell asleep in the car on the way home.   A close friend of ours sustained severe injuries while hiking last Friday. As a result of his trip and fall, he was admitted to the neuro intensive care unit at Sutter Roseville.  He has already undergone a blood transfusion, and several surgeries just to get him stabilized.  He is awaiting two more surgeries this week.  He tripped while hiking, fell an estimated 40 feet down a cliff, crushing his pelvis above the hip socket, fractured his left arm, severely broke his right forearm and wrist, and crushed his right cheek bone.  We are thankful he is still here with us.  Thankfully, he is expected to make a full recovery.  Its just going to take time for him to heal. 

Night 3, all business.  Brodie cried LOUD and wailed, "Mama, mama, mama," repeatedly for 10 minutes.  Lucas stayed in his bed, fell asleep, and never made a peep. They were both asleep within 15 minutes. 

After about 45 minutes of them falling asleep, I went to check on them.  The only problem was Brodie had fallen asleep on the floor, behind their bedroom door like a door stop.  I could only open the door a couple inches, just enough room for my hand to reach around and feel his foot.  I then reached under the door, and felt an elbow.  Carefully, I pushed the door with one hand, and gently pulled his feet with the other, moving him enough to fit my body through.  I picked him up, and held him tight.  He was soaking wet with tears, and quietly sobbing in his sleep.  I waiting for his breathing to calm, then placed him in his bed, as he kept on sleeping.

Over Father's Day weekend, we went camping at Boggs Mountain.  My parents joined us, so they could watch Lucas and Brodie, while my husband and I raced our Ventana mountain bike tandem in an 8 hour race on Saturday. 

We left our house at 6:30 AM, drove 3 hours, unloaded the car, set up camp, left the kids with my parents, and rode our mountain bike from 12 Noon until around 5:30 PM.  We stopped by our camp once to say Hello to the kids, my parents, and check on everyone.  They were having a great time!  Lucas and Brodie running my parents ragged.  The kids were covered in dirt from head to toe.  They were riding their big wheels, exploring through the forest picking up sticks, rocks, pine cones, and anything else they could find.  They played in the dirt and had dirt in every nook and cranny: up their nose, under the nails of their fingers and toes, in their diapers, ears, on their faces, arms, legs, and in their mouths as a result of a few face plants in the dirt.  They hung out in my parents tent playing, while my Mom filed and painted her nails.  My Mom painted Brodie's big toe nails red.  The kids climbed, jumped, rolled all over their bed, while my Dad tried to lay down and read.  At one point, Lucas and Brodie asked to take a nap.  They wanted in their own beds.  They just layed there for about 30 minutes quietly, then asked to get up and continue playing.  They had so much fun playing, they just couldn't take naps.  So by early evening, Lucas and Brodie were exhausted, but still playing.  They just could not stop.  Eventually, Lucas fell asleep in my husband's arms around 8:30 PM, while we attended the bike race awards ceremony.  Brodie managed to keep himself awake until we went to bed around 9:30 PM. 

The next morning was Father's Day.  We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, exchanged Father's Day gifts, let the kids play while we packed up, and then we drove back home.  Everyone had a fun weekend together. 

Camping with the kids when they were 11 months was not as much fun as camping with them now that they are 22 months old.  What a difference almost a year has made.   Our next camping trip with the kids will be in Yosemite later this Summer. 

First  goal:  Go to bed without crying, fall asleep without getting out of their beds, and without Mommy or Daddy in the room. 

In preparation, I took everything out of their room that they could climb on.  I made a quiet area for them on the floor with some of their favorite books and soft toys.  I gave each of them a glowworm, so they have their own night light with them in bed.

Background:  Lucas will go to bed without crying, and fall asleep with Mommy or Daddy sitting next to his bed.  But in order for this to occur, Brodie has to already be sleeping in his bed next to him.  This is very unlikely to happen.  Brodie will repeatedly get out of his bed, and do everything in his power to prevent falling asleep, no matter how tired he is.

In April, Brodie started climbing out of his crib.  We had to convert their cribs to toddler beds.  If Brodie hadn't climbed out, they would both still be in their cribs, and sleep would not be an issue. 

In the past, it took 8 months for us to get Lucas to fall asleep in his crib.  It took 15 months for us to get Brodie to fall asleep in his crib without a big fuss.  We tried numerous methods to get Brodie to fall asleep in his crib, and finally had to let him cry it out.  This was hard on all of us, but it worked.  Lucas learned to sleep through his brother crying next to him.  Lucas and Brodie are currently 22 months. 

Night #1 (June 22)
Baths at 7:30 PM.  At 8 PM Lucas and Brodie each picked a book which we read together as a family in their bedroom.  They climbed into their beds with the blankets, glowworm, and Lucas with his lovie.  We kissed them goodnight, reminded them its night time, time to go to sleep, and they must stay in their beds.  At 8:30 PM, before we left their room, we told them we were going to go, and we shut their door.  For the next 30 minutes, Lucas and Brodie cried.  We checked on them once, and they were fine, just upset because we left them alone and shut their door.  At 9:15 PM, I opened their door to check on them.  They were both asleep in their own beds, glowworms by their sides.  I plugged in their night light, and kept them door ajar for the rest of the night.  Lucas woke up once around 1 AM.  Brodie slept through the night, and woke up at 5 AM ready to start his day.  Lucas slept until 6 AM. 

Night #1 was a success!    I thought for sure they would cry for over an hour, and fall asleep on the floor next to their door.  Everything went better than I expected. 

No matter what time Brodie goes to sleep, anytime between 7PM - 8PM, he still wakes up between 4AM-5AM.  He wakes up screaming, saying "up, up, book, book."  I rush him down the hall, out into the playroom, as far away from his room, so he doesn't wake Lucas up.  If its before 5AM we sit in the dark on the couch and he rolls around hurting me, while I try to keep him quiet.  I tell him its still dark outside, its still night, Daddy & Lucas are sleeping so we have to be quiet.  He gets frustrated and continues to insist I read a book or let him watch bike videos on YouTube. 
Once 5AM rolls around, we read books, sing songs, and occasionally watch YouTube. 
I;ve tried to get him to go back to sleep, but he just screams, throws a loud tantrum, and wakes Lucas up. Then I have two grumpy kids hanging out with me before 5AM...and this makes for a very long day.

I know what I'm doing is not working...and its definitely not helping Brodie learn how to fall back asleep, and not helping him learn it is too early to wake up.  I would like to help him learn that when its still dark outside, its sleepy time, and he needs to go back to sleep or stay in his room quietly.

Yes, I know I'm being taken advantage of by my kids. But up until last night, I just wasn't ready to deal with reality.  I had to reach my breaking point.  And I have more than reached it!

I get so frustrated that I just want to put him back in his bed, tell him its night time, and shut his door....and let him work it out.

The result would be:  Lucas being woke up, and both of Brodie and Lucas crying, screaming and throwing hysterical tantrums, rolling around on the floor, hitting their heads on the floor (they can both be dramatic at times), climbing up and anything they can possibly reach.....until I open their door.  I'll still be awake, my husband will be awake, and I the only thing that I will have accomplished is not having to sit on the couch in the dark with Brodie rolling /climbing all over me for an hour...I forgot to mention that he bites me, head butts me...and just plain thrashes me.   No fun at all for either of us!  He usually ends of waking Lucas up with all his commotion anyway. 

On a good morning, Brodie wakes up at 5AM and we read and sing songs until Lucas wakes up around 6AM-6:30 AM.  Yes, that means I might have to sing songs for over an hour, and amazingly Brodie sits there content.  He has a song book with 40 songs that he really likes right now.  I end up with these silly songs stuck in my head all day, and night if I can't block them out. 

This is only one of our problems related to sleep.  The other ongoing problem is I can't get either Lucas and Brodie to fall asleep in their toddler beds.  We are walking them to sleep in the stroller or driving them to sleep in the car.  I know this is a temporary solution, and I know I need to stop.   Honestly, I don't know what to do.  I am gratful for the suggestions received thus far.  But the suggestions either haven't worked or just will not work in our house.  ie: 1) put Brodie in a time out bedroom separated from Lucas.  His reward would be to return to his own bed in the same room with his brother.  The only extra room in our house can not be emptied at this time. 2) separate Lucas and Brodie by putting them to sleep in different bedrooms.   I know this won't work for us.....they like being together, so I want to respect their bond. Again the only extra room we have can't be emptied right now.  3) for nearly a month I tried sitting with each of them next to their beds.  Every time they got out of their beds, I told them to go back to bed.  One would get out, then the other one would get out.  Lucas and Brodie would get in and out of their beds over and over and over.  I tried a combination of staying in their room and leaving their room.  It didn't make a difference whether I was there or not.  Each week worsened rather than improve, and as we neared 4 weeks it was taking over an hour to get them to go to sleep....One night it took 1 1/2 hours....and that is when I just gave up and started walking or driving them to sleep. 

I am open to more suggestions or possible solutions.  In the meantime, I'm losing my sanity...not to mention I am sleep deprived.

I have the next couple of days to figure out a plan.  Starting Monday morning nap time/bedtime boot camp begins at our house. 

Have you been to ArtBeast Children's Studio?  I can't wait to take Lucas and Brodie.  They just opened this month!  If you go before I do, let me know what you think.  Here's some info I found from the internet about ArtBeast:

ArtBeast Children’s Studio is located at:  2226 K St  Sacramento, CA 95816
(916) 441-1233

What is ArtBeast?
ArtBeast is a drop in arts exploration space for children featuring an open studio, arts classes, and arts exploration rooms. Though all children are welcome to visit ArtBeast, special focus is given to creating an environment for children under 6.

The open studio features tables, easels, and clay mounds where young artists can work. Surrounding shelves are stocked with paint, papers, objects from nature, recycled tidbits, glues, crayons, glitter, scissors, an array of brushes, and an even wider offering of objects from which to make art. An outdoor courtyard offers space for sand and water play, and the messiest of arts explorations.

Arts exploration rooms include rooms to explore dramatic arts, music, and movement. The dance space is outfitted with mirrors, bars, and a sound system. Tutus, tap shoes, bells, and streamers will allow dancers to explore movement and the joy of dancing. A small stage, puppet theatres, props, and a cupboard full of costumes allow performers to sing and bring to life stories of their own creation. Dramatic play spaces changes monthly so children can explore the creation of story lines with ever changing scenery, props, costumes, and puppets. A music exploration space offers instruments from around the world so that budding musicians can strum, form drum circles, or form a band for the afternoon.

Throughout each day, classes are offered for guided exploration of various arts. Classes target age groups so that painting or dance, yoga or song can be made safe and fun for infants, toddlers, and preschool age children. Class offerings include: Clay Work, Painting, Photography, Mixed Media, Ballet, Tap, Hip Hop, Singing, Rhythm Sessions, Yoga, Keyboarding, and Acting. Daily storytelling, puppet shows, and sing-alongs invigorate each day. The large classroom offers plenty of room and comfortable seating for parents to watch.

Parents or caregivers stay on site with each child to promote each child’s comfort in exploration. ArtBeast has a space dedicated to soft play and texture walls for infants, crawlers, and beginning walkers.

How It Works:

ArtBeast uses a gym membership model. Visitors can choose to drop in or select a monthly membership. Like a gym membership for adults, a child is free to choose from a variety of courses offered and has the freedom to explore with creative tools, a variety of mediums and quality equipment. The classes are packaged into the membership at a small additional cost.

Why ArtBeast?
Sacramento does not have a creative art center for children that includes open studio time and the opportunity to explore various arts. Sacramento has high price point, single class options where children must commit to a single interest. ArtBeast believes children under 6 need to explore- not specialize. ArtBeast offers that exploration at an affordable price. Monthly memberships package unlimited studio and play space time with weekly class offerings. Family memberships offer steep discounts.

ArtBeast acts as a gathering place for parents and caregivers committed to their child’s need to explore the arts. By offering an inclusive space to share art experiences with children, drink tea and connect with other adults,
ArtBeast encourages the growth of a community that works to make Sacramento’s children art literate, hungry to create, and brave in expressing who they are becoming.

The proceeds from ArtBeast fund programs for homeless children and youth. Every penny raised at ArtBeast goes to one of two places: back into ArtBeast or into Tubman House, a residential community for homeless youth and children. ArtBeast is a creative effort to sustain good work and reduce dependency on dwindling funding for nonprofits.

Lucas woke up from his afternoon nap and wandered down the hall to find me checking my e-mails.  He was still waking up from his nap, and was content sitting on my lap watching me read e-mails.  About 15 minutes later I heard Brodie slam a door shut, so I knew he was awake.  Lucas and I stayed put, since Brodie normally slams his bedroom door, runs down the hall, and then wants me to pick him up for a hug.  A few minutes went by, and no Brodie.  It's too quiet.  Lucas and I headed down the hall in search of Brodie.  I noticed moving shadows coming from under the bathroom door.  It was the bathroom door we heard slam shut.  When I opened it, Brodie was smiling ear to ear, as he was in heaven unrolling the toilet paper, which was now in a knotted pile on the floor.  "Oh, Brodie, you're not suppose to play with the toilet paper." I said.  Then I took his hand and the three of us walked out to the playroom.  Within the next 30 minutes, while preparing their snack, Lucas and Brodie were running around the house, getting into everything possible.  Each of them on opposite sides of the room.  I had to keep glancing around to keep track of what they were each up to.  Brodie had already picked up the laptop and tossed it from the table to the pine chest.  I just happened to look across the room, and he was grinning a huge grin, while sitting in his high chair.  Sitting in his high chair, means he some how managed to climb up on top of the tray, slide into the seat, all without help.  He was just sitting there proudly, waiting for me to notice him.  I was shocked!  If I'm distracted even a few seconds, that's all it takes for Lucas and Brodie to get into some sort of mischief.  All of this, just made me laugh.

8 AM Sunday morning I rode my bike to the Farmer's Market under the freeway at X and Broadway, in Sacramento, pulling Lucas and Brodie in their trailer.  They took an early morning nap on the way there, and woke up just in time to shop. 
The market was crowded which made moving difficult.  Especially because I had to push my bike, with the trailer attached, through the crowds, and keep Lucas and Brodie entertained, while I shopped for fruit, veges, eggs, and bread.  The people were amazingly polite, considering no matter how hard I tried to stay out of their way, I was in someone else's way.  One woman actually offered to hold my bike while I picked tomatoes.  Lucas and Brodie eyed her cautiously the entire time. When I purchased 1/2 dozen peaches, the farmer gave me 3 plums, one for me and the other two for Lucas and Brodie.  They took a couple bites, got their hands and faces nice and sticky, then tossed them to the bottom of their stroller.  They were more interested in checking out the carrots, yellow squash, and zucchini I gave them to hold.  They pulled them out of their bags, took a few nibbles, and waved them around.  Every time I gave them something new to hold, they would take the new and toss the old.  Everything eventually ended up on the bottom of their trailer.  I had to take it away before they stomped on it, and ruined it. 
We meandered our way through the market, finished our shopping, and loaded all our items into the back of the stroller, and put them on ice.  We still had at least a 1 1/2 hour ride home ahead of us, so we walked across the street to Southside Park to play. 
After locking up the bike, and hoping no one would take the time to take apart the stroller to steal it, we headed over to the play structures.  Lucas and Brodie played hard for over an hour, while I chased them around, up, down, over, under, and through as they explored the playground.  We were all tired when Steve finally met up with us on his bike. 
Before we left to ride home, Lucas and Brodie ate lunch.  Then we all rode into West Sac for a bite to eat at Sal's, crossed the I Street bridge, looped through Old Sac, which connected us onto the American River Parkway.  Once we reached Discovery Park, we rode the bike trail all the way back home.  Lucas and Brodie took their afternoon nap on the ride home, and once we arrive home around 2PM, they were both ready to get out and play again.

After our morning bike ride, I rode to the grocery store before heading home.  I wanted to be quick, so after locking up the biike, we all kept our bike helmets on, and the flag on the bike trailer, while we did our shopping.  People sure like to stare!  Its not like they haven't seen people wearing bike helmets before. Lucas and Brodie like to hold items while I shop.  Luckily I only needed a few things. I gave Brodie the frozen waffles, and Lucas a carton of milk.  Apparently Brodie wanted to hold the milk, and Lucas wouldn't give it up, so the next thing I know Brodie yelled some jibber-jabber talk, then put the munch on Lucas's hand.  Lucas started screaming LOUD, and turned the tears on high.  At that point, we were on our way to the self check.  I had to stop, pry the milk away from Brodie, kiss Lucas's fingers, and thought all was well, until I kept hearing "meek, meek, meek" coming from Lucas in a sad, tearful voice.  He wanted to hold the milk again.  I gave it back to him and he held it all the way home.  Brodie asked for water before we left the store, and had a great time pouring the remaining amount of water all over himself.  He was soaked by the time we got home.....only about a 5 minute ride.  Never a dull moment around here.

I'm always trying to figure out what to do with Lucas and Brodie, when I take a shower.  It was easy when they weren't walking because I'd put them in bouncy seats, while I showered.  Once they started walking, but not yet climbing I would close them into the master bedroom with toys, while I showered.  Then they started climbing, and that changed everything.  Leaving them unattended even for a few minutes meant trouble.  If they have the time, they can figure out how to open just about any safety lock, and how to climb over the safety gates.  They haven't figured out how to open doors with the door knob covers we recently installed.  Thank goodness!  But I know that its just a matter of time.
After our run this morning, I needed to take a shower before we left to meet up for a play date at a friend's house.  I grabbed the mail from yesterday out of the mail box, tossed it onto the playroom floor, and Lucas and Brodie swarmed in.  I realized this was the moment I had been waiting for.  They immediately started looking through bike magazines, bike catalogs, and junk mail.  They didn't even care that I had walked down the hall.  I took a speed shower, and then listened.  Everything sounded peaceful.  I took a quick peek, and even though they were done looking through the mail, they were now tearing the junk mail into little pieces, and throwing them around the room like they were airplanes.  I finished getting ready to leave, while Lucas and Brodie flew paper airplanes.  By the time we left the house, the playroom was covered with tiny pieces of shredded paper.....airplanes.  
 

Last Saturday, my husband took Brodie and Lucas to the Farmer's Market, while I was away trail running with a friend.  Here's the story as my husband told it:  The kids both fell asleep on the way to the market.  Steve decided he would go ahead and shop anyway.  Brodie continued sleeping while transferred to the stroller.  While Lucas continued to sleep in Steve's arm, he closed the car door, but delayed a second too long, and the car door shut on his right thumb.  Some how he managed to open the car door, remove his thumb, while continuing to hold Lucas, who was still sleeping in his other arm.  Now at this point, his thumb was bleeding, throbbing, and in great pain.  He figured he might as well shop, since he already had the stroller and kids unloaded.  He wrapped baby wipes around his thumb to absorb the blood, and finished the shopping.  Amazingly, Brodie and Lucas were still sleeping.  After loading everyone and everything back into the car, his thumb still bleeding, he took the scenic route home, hoping the kids would keep sleeping.  They ended up taking a 2 hour nap, and kept sleeping even after he returned home.  The entire time, his thumb was a mess.  When I returned home, just before 1PM, his thumb was bandaged, but still oozing blood.  The car door had shut on his cuticle, separating it from the nail, and tearing the skin between his cuticle and the closest knuckle.  Lucas and Brodie showed their deepest sympathy by saying, "Daddy, owie." while pointing to his thumb.  I nominate my husband for the Super Dad Award.