Whew!

No, no, not done with the old job yet. Yes, yes, was supposed to be on new job full time on the 16th. The end is in sight. Hopefully tonight was my last night working or at least having a work meeting in awhile. I'll probably have to put in extra hours to catch up more on the new job. I'm tired. I am not stress free, but I do feel the stress reducing.

We are in the process of moving off of central time zone and I'm trying to get my mind around what our new schedule and Noemi's hours should be. This week, we moved from 6:30 am - 3 pm to 7 am - 3:30. I think next week I will go to 8 am - 4:30 pm. And, probably the week after 8:30 am to 5 pm. As hard as it was to go to the early schedule, I guess we all got used to it and have been in a good routine. As much as I was not looking forward to going solo with the kids in the afternoon, it mostly goes okay.

3 pm Take twins to pick up Max
3:15 pm Max fuss at school and pout because he wants to stay and play longer (his closest friend is in a different class most of the rest of the day and he only gets to see him after snack in the afternoon and a bit when they both have afternoon play outside in the morning)
3:30 pm Kids play while I pull together something for dinner or put last minute touches
4 pm Eat Dinner
4:15 - 4:30 pm Start outside play
5 pm Baths
5:30 pm Twins in bed
6:30 pm Max in bed, I resume work

Working until 5 pm is going to kill this schedule. I tested with moving bedtimes back a bit this weekend. The twins actually did okay if you could get back Rmelting down cause he just can't hang tired. The kid looses it. The big problem is Max. When you push his back, same as when he was a babe, he wakes up earlier as in the 4 am early hour. If I could manage to put him to bed first, it may work, but no way, no how will that work. What I've done this week is shorten the amount of time between their bedtimes so he has gotten less 1:1 time then and that has gone okay. BUT, since he is getting up earlier he is getting more 1:1 time in the morning cuddling and watching TV will I groan and try to doze.

I think ultimately for the morning schedule, I'm going to try to leave the house at 8 am with the twins to take Max to school and start work at 8:30 am when I get back/Noemi arrives with next week practicing that schedule of leaving with Max at 8 am without the twins. With me working at 6:30 am and taking him at random times depending on the day of the week and my work schedule, there has been too much TV watching and lallygagging. He will be spending longer at school, but he has been literally crying or getting teary eyed or at least complaining daily about wanting to stay longer so I have only minimal guilt.

I'll probably have Noemi pick up Max in the afternoon with the twins around 4:30 while I wrap up work and get dinner done. Then, maybe 5:15 pm dinner. Then, right into baths and bed. I just don't see how I can get in outdoor after dinner play with this schedule. We will have to see how it goes.

I'm probably going to have to travel next Wednesday and the Tuesday/Wednesday the week after. I'm going to try to get out of the travel for next week if I commit to the 2 day trip the week after. I really do need to make a few trips soon, meet people, but it is just such a pain, is tiring, and just messes havoc with an already changing schedule. Not to mention that I'm feeling so fat and frumpy and unstylish that I really am not looking forward to that internal discomfort and trying to find work clothes that I feel comfortable in, are appropriate, and if not exactly stylish at least not too outdated. I've been working from home full time for almost 10 years now. I have nice dress pants that are fine. It's the tops and uppers that just need some help.

The kids are fine. Another cold/snot noses over the last few days just in time for N;s recheck of ears at the peds on Monday. Reminds me that I meant to put some eye drops in Max before bed as it was looking a tad irritated, but alas...tonight was not one of those smooth bath/bed times. R lost it in the tub because Max started playing with the motorcycle that he had stopped playing. He was throwing such a fit I had to actually run and put him in the crib real quick and then get N and Max out, then go back and get PJ's on everyone. I've learned and what works well on most days is take towels and diapers in and have on hand. Take one twin out, dry and diaper then place behind and encourage to leave bathroom; take second twin out, dry and diaper then encourage to leave bathroom; then get Max out and dried. Since no one has left the bathroom at this time and everyone is getting into trouble (i.e. pulling trash out, climbing on the toilet, playing on the toilet, turning on the sink faucet), I usually end up shouting "OUT, EVERYONE OUT!" as I drain the tub, pull the clothes, diapers, shoes, out and close the door. Or, at least get everyone out and close door to hopefully remember to return later to pick up.

N is getting quite accomplished...at entering an open bathroom door and any and every opportunity, playing on the toilet (Max went to pee this afternoon and comes out and tells me two of my spices had been thrown in and one of the cat's bowls was found in mine, along with cat food in the toilet, on the toilet seat, and on the floor..again), climbing on my bed and getting to my computer, the TV, the remote has now been missing for a few weeks, climbing on Max's bed and top bunk, climbing on an breaking Max's train table. Repeated 'NO' is met with a smile of pride in her accomplishments and been a zero deterrent. She has started talking some. She has "Mine, Mine, MINE, MINE, MINE" down and quite clearly. Good thing she is so charming and easy going. Unless you tick her off or hurt her.

R is talking more. He's smart as a whip. He's really been in to cars, and trains, and pushing and moving objects too and fro, and making car and train and engine noises. He really doesn't do tired or sick well. He gets whinny. He goes out of his way to cause trouble. For example, the other week we were at a family get together and the twins refused to nap. He starts getting into what I call the danger zone and out of the blue walks up to a table and swipes his hand across it basically dumping the contents onto the floor. Or, he will walk up to someone...me, N, Max and just randomly hit them. Just because. It can almost be comical to watch...if it weren't so annoying and cause such havoc with all three kids because he sure knows the triggers for all of us. Good thing he is so charming and eager to please the rest of the time. Plus, he is my cuddler. He just melts in and snuggles. On nights when things are really out of control or naps have been boycotted, I can suggest that Max go watch a TV show (or suggest he might not get one in later if at all depending on his mood and what will most motivate him) to take him out of the mix. N can 90% of the time be counted on to follow, hang out with him, and they almost 99.9% of the time can be counted on to get along and 90% of the time not get into too much trouble together. With them out of the mix, I can put on lullaby, rock R, and have him asleep in 10 -15 minutes. Then, go retrieve N, rock her for a bit, and get her relaxed and settled (very, very, very rarely will she fall asleep in my arms...like maybe 5 times in 23 months. Then, I can go tend to Max and get him to bed. It has been a fine tuned system.

Max is getting so darn big. He also is a smarty pants. Still likes to joke and play tricks. I do see him maturing a bit over the last month or two over all filled with regressions in baby behavior (i.e. going and grabbing a toy from his brother mostly or sister occasionally shouting MINE as R and then N have been doing); or wanting to read books he liked as a baby or toddler; or spending longer than one could think possible entertaining himself playing the Giggles Baby Time Shapes). I still need to get him up about 2 no more than 3 hours after he goes to bed to use the toilet or he will wet the bed. If that happens, we can go months without a bed wetting incident. Then, we will have a cluster of 2 -3 days in a row or 3 out of 5 days in a week for some reason. He loves to talk. His pants are constantly falling off his hinny giving everyone in the vicinity plenty of booty and butt crack views. Belts have not helped. Pants with the adjustable waists have not helped. He is really starting to play with the twins. He and R have more times where they can get along and play nicely for long stretches, unless Max isn't in the mood and then poor R is just yelled at, ignored, or grabbed from.

All and all, things are fine. Ready for work to not be such a drain and try to slowly get caught up on things...like paying taxes (yes, a formal extension was submitted) and deciding on things for the summer. I'm going to put Max in school for the first 6 week session at his school, but am thinking about not for the second 3 week session. This will give a 5 week stretch before next year starts, which is too long. But, I want to see if I can find a summer camp that will have him in the water every day. I've found two that seemed okay, but the price of one week is almost the cost of the three weeks at his school so I'm pondering.

A light at the end of the tunnel

I see a light at the end of the tunnel and I'm pretty sure it isn't a train coming to hit me head on. I picked up my new job on the 1st, but don't give up my existing job until the 15th. New job should be MUCH, MUCH, MUCH better, but I will have to do a bit of travel in the beginning. Until then, I am trying to do existing job which is really 2 or 3 jobs and my new job which is a full time one. I'm stressed out to the max and I can handle a lot of stress. Now, that I'm going to hopefully be free of the madness of the last 9 months; that my friend who replaced my boss that took the hit for the sad state of affairs has come in and validated it hasn't been my imagination and after only 8 weeks is working to get herself out; that I can remember the way things should be done in the new assignment; I can admit to myself how much I hate what I have been doing and how unhappy I have been. I'm also angry at how this has interfered with my personal life in so many ways. I have carved out time for the kids, but so many things have suffered. I still need to get my taxes done. I would normally have taken this week off to spend with Max and the kids since Max is out of school and instead I'm working crazy long hours and it just pisses me off. The rest of this week and next are just going to suck and I hope and pray after that that it just gets better and better and I can stabilize out, de-stress, and get caught up on things.