Random stuff

So Jackson has been a challenge lately. When he's good it's so hard to imagine him being so bad but he can really be infuriating. I think it boils down to him being VERY stubborn. I have NO idea where he gets that from (looks around whistling). The odd thing is that my mom says that I was a very easy going kid and always took no for an answer (even though I was stubborn) but Jackson just can't handle no. I was given a technique to try by a psychotherapist since time outs just aren't effective with him. They work perfectly for Maddie but not Jackson. Not only is Jackson stubborn but I also feel like he is looking for attention. So the deal is that when he whines or cries I say "I'm going in my room and when you stop I will come out." It doesn't work if Chris and I are both home because Chris refuses to go into our room. He says he didn't do anything wrong why should he have to go to his room? Great. So I can only do it during the day. The first time I did it I was in there for 45 minutes. It was awful. He was kicking the door, screaming, and coming up with every excuse in the book to get me to come out. Every once in a while I would calmly say, "when you stop crying I will come out". I stuck to my guns and he eventually stopped. From then on just the threat of going to my room would make him stop but the handful of times I've needed to go it's been an under 5 minute deal.

But this isn't to say that everything is solved because there are so many situations that don't fit with that punishment. One issue we have is bath time. He absolutely hates it. He whines and cries that the water is hot (trust me it's not) so he won't get in. Once he's in he refuses to let me wash his hair so he just sits in the bathtub screaming. Bath time has always been a nightmare at our house. Maddie is better at it but still manages to have something set her off every once in a while. It's awesome when they're BOTH hysterically crying.

One thing I've noticed is that if I ever leave them with someone else to watch while I have a photo session or if they're overnight at one of our parents' house they are horribly behaved when we get them back

Madison and Jackson's 4 year check-ups had to be the worst by far. It all started out so well. The kids have been so good lately that I didn't even think to bring another person with me. But like I said it started out well. They were well behaved even though we had a ridiculous amount of waiting. At one point we were left in the room for 45 minutes. They had already had their check-ups and were waiting for the dreaded shots. Madison weighed 32 pounds (21st percentile) and was 38 inches (12th percentile) and Jackson was 37 pounds (56th percentile) and 40 inches (17th percentile). Of course they were very antsy and at one point and were going in and out of the room. I was doing my best to control them but a little part of me didn't really care if they disrupted the office because that's what they get for keeping two 4 year olds waiting for that long. So on one of their trips out we happened to see our friend Spencer and his mom going to the room next to us for an appointment. Boy did they end up getting an earful.

So the nurse finally comes back in with the shots ready to go. FOUR for EACH of them. I had discussed it with the dr. and we agreed to get them over with this year that way next year they wouldn't need any. The poor kids had no idea what was going on or what was about to happen. The nurse asked them who wanted to go first and Jackson very eagerly exclaimed, "ME!!!" Odds are he'll never volunteer to go first for anything ever again. I get him on my lap and hold his arm across his body very securely while the nurse stuck him for the first time. He definitely jumped but didn't cry, nor did he cry with the second one in the same arm. The second arm was a different story. OH my god, his cry was gut wrenching. I seriously tear up now thinking about it and it was two months ago. It felt inhumane. The nurse could have been colder but she also could have been much more sympathetic. So in the mean time Madison is watching in horror. Jackson was screaming so loud and for so long and we couldn't calm him down. Finally after 5 minutes of screaming another nurse came in with some stickers and started to talk to him. It actually worked! He was very interested in the stickers and calmed down. So now we get Madison and she's looking at me with such a horrified look on her face saying "I don't want a shot!" It was so sad. So I get her up on my lap. She definitely cried on the first two in the first arm but the third on in the second arm I totally saw the nurse put the needle in, fumble with it which moved the needle all around in her arm THEN push the plunger (or whatever it's called). The scream of terror sounded like we were cutting her with a knife. That's when I lost it. I just started to cry and so did Jackson. He was SO upset by her crying like that. So the nurse finished up with her and the three of us sat on the floor holding each other and sobbing. It was mentally exhausting. Once I had them all dressed we went out in the waiting room to leave to find Spencer waiting for us. He and his mom heard the whole thing and Spencer told her he didn't want to leave before he saw if they were ok. SUCH a sweet kid. Unfortunately since they made us wait so long we totally missed swim lessons that day but I brought them to the pool anyway so they could play with Noah right after the lesson.