“Don’t touch, say sorry, no biting!”

Today's theme: “Don’t touch, say sorry, no biting!”
It has a nice rhythm to it-once repeated fifty times in short period.

I am thirty minutes past sending my nephew home and boy, did we have a full day. Here’s a little background. Our little ones, which made two in March & April,  have been annoying one another since birth. They must touch, harass, poke and push one another just to make sure we are paying attention. Or at least, that’s all I can determine.

My day started at 5:30am. I planned to start my day an hour prior to his arrival but couldn’t muster the energy to do so. I did the bare minimum – folded a load of laundry. He arrived at 7 with a loud cry. Poor little man, he loves his Aunt but doesn’t want to be left anywhere without Mom and Dad.

And so it began – a snuggle campaign to get him to calm down. I rocked and patted him like he was fresh out of the womb. Then, I realized I could use a Buzz Lightyear video to soothe his soul. And it worked!

The next 1.5 hours included video games, puzzles, flash cards and books. His attention span is shorter than my daughter so I had to keep moving to ensure I didn’t lose him.

My daughter wakes and immediately asked if her cousin arrived. We dress, do hair, have breakfast and make it to the park in record time. The rush? We live in Las Vegas and must beat the heat. Our preparation includes packing water, sun hats – putting on sunscreen and wearing sunglasses. Poor me, I had to push the 60+ pounds of double stroller with a b ackpack (travel potty, diapers, pull ups etc). I’m sure you get the point. So we swing, slide and pose for pictures –and start the journey home.

I had an AHA moment while pushing them up a rather steep hill. Why not re-create a water table? It worked – each child had one large tub, a medium bin and two small bowls to transfer water. They were thoroughly entertained. This led us to lunchtime and a three hour nap. My plan to tire them worked tremendously!

The pain in my back didn’t set in until they were both sleeping. It started in my ankle and made its way to my neck. So, when someone says, “Aren’t you ready for #2?” I will remember this day, this pain and reply, “Don’t touch, say sorry, no biting!” It will be confusing to most but amusing to the ones that have uttered the words for years.

How did you plan for child #2?