eeny, MEANY, whiny, MOOOOO!

I am having a few issues with parenting lately. It appears I have been given two of the world's loudest screamers known to this world. I have been feeling utterly incapable of dealing with the volume of it all lately. Whining and crying happens at the slightest sliver of something not going exactly how each of them had planned things to go. It seems so often they want opposing things, and are uninterested in compromising. This isn't really a request for help, as much as a RWWWAAAAAAAR! statement. I'm finding myself in these situations saying things, doing things that I never thought I would, sounding mean, being loud and scary, all of these things that do nothing but make matters worse.

Clementine starts school in one week! So crazy! She continues to have poopy accidents though, and I just don't know if her teacher will be understanding. At this point, I don't know what to do to get through to her about how important it is that she makes it to the toilet in time. She's always so calm, 'it's ok, Mommy'. Sometimes she says 'I told you I had to go', of course she tells me AFTER she's already gone! But yeah...good times!

I have, however, successfully weaned my lil' one. Miss Clemmer will now 'cuddle the momos' but not 'chew on them' (her words of course, can't imagine EVER wanting to describe nursing as 'chewing', but you know, she's two). I had been cutting back, cutting back, limiting, etc., but it wasn't lessening her desire any. Finally about four nights ago, I said 'Clem, the momos are broken. They won't be getting fixed either.' She seemed fine at the time, but was quite sad at bed time, and again in the middle of the night when she crawled into bed with me. Last night, I made the mistake of going to bed with limited amount of clothing, and she touched them, but didn't even try to nurse. God bless her. She said, all sleepy 'hold me mama', and that was it.

Hannah and I have had a resurgence of tenderness between us. Partly because she's showing me the genius that is Super Mario Bros.! What a killer game that is! I'm having so much fun, and she literally is better than I am, so it's been very sweet of her to take some time and patience to show ol' mom how to maneuver past those pesky little Koopas.

I am eternally exhausted. This has not improved. I am so grateful to be loved and have a lovely family, and yet I am so utterly drained. It isn't that I don't go out and do my own thing, because I do, it just isn't enough. At least I'm getting some solid sleep now though. And at least they're adorable, and this is a phase which will pass. Until then though, send me waves of patience and while you're at it, pitch in for the earplug fund!