Learning as a Mom

I just changed out the christmas cd's in the stereo and it was kind of sad (yes we still have a stereo with cd changers...we were on the path to coming into the 20th century when we won an iPod at the crab feed last year, but unfortunately if was stolen by someone.) I absolutely love Christmas music and when i changed the cds out tonight it really meant that the season was over. But i am excited for when it will come again next year. 

I had an ah-ha moment today as a mom. Brookelyn has been a bit of a challenge emotionally through her last 2 years. And I always chalked it up to that was the way she is wired. But today I realized that I think it was a bit of my fault. I am not a scheduled oriented person by nature. I am not over the top organized with times and I am always a little late to things, but i am working on it. So anyway, that transfers into how I am as a mom. Brookelyn was always horrible at going to sleep. She is a total night owl, or so I thought. But I now realize it was because I didn't have her on a routine schedule. She has been so good the last two months, and maybe it is because she is getting a little older, but I think it is because I have her on more of a schedule. Her emotions are a lot better and she is so much happier. Last night was the first time she had been to bed unusually late for a while, and she was so cranky and emotional today. For some reason it made me think that this might be why she was more difficult earlier in life. It was a vicious cycle, the more she fought bedtime, the later I put her down (mostly because I dreaded how long it would take and the hoops I had to jump through to get her to bed) and so the downward spiral continued. 

As I have been thinking about this, i keep thinking about how there has to be balance. I don't want my child to be so schedule and routine oriented that the slightest deviation from the routine causes chaos ( I am way to unscheduled for that). So this year I am going to work on having a bit more of a schedule, but still try to have spontaneity in our lives!!!

Another thing I learned today is that I like to do my dishes. I love cleaning my kitchen. Maybe it is because I know it is mine and it is still new. But I really like doing my dishes in the evening. It is kind of a down time for me.