7 Quick Takes for Friday

1. I've been out of sorts lately. Not feeling energized or motivated, but restless at the same time. Patience is in seriously short supply...you know when you used to spend the entire weekend with your best friend and by Sunday you were both a little sick of each other? I think the kids and I feel a little like that. Just kind of sick of each other's company. August is kind of a strange month. There's a subtle change in the air so it doesn't feel like summer anymore, but it's not fall yet. There is lots of transition on the horizon but nothing actually changing yet. The weather is a little unpredictable and moody; sort of fitting I suppose. Only a few more weeks until school starts and I am counting down.

2. I'm starting to wonder whether I need to get Brighton's hearing checked by an audiologist. Her pediatrician checked it in the office at her 3-year well check but she either didn't *get* what she was supposed to do or couldn't actually hear. Lately she's asking me to repeat myself ALL. THE. TIME. Sometimes even multiple times. The thing is, she also hears me asking Pacey to repeat himself a lot. He is still difficult to understand and doesn't have a particularly loud speaking voice so it's hard for me to hear/comprehend him a lot of the time. So I don't know if she's just developing a habit based on that or is actually having difficulty hearing. It would be easy enough to get checked, but I feel like we've spent an awful lot of time in various medical offices lately and I sort of just don't wanna. Anyone have experience with this in an otherwise healthy/normally developing 3-year-old? She hasn't had an ear infection in more than a year...

3. Speaking of the girl child, I am feeling very out of my depth parenting her lately. She's...well, honestly? She's not very pleasant to be around. Her default response setting right now is Grating Whine, even if she gets the answer she wants. She is extremely reactive and dramatic and tends to fall apart over seemingly small things. Managing her sleep has been tricky...I am very protective of my evenings and so I tend toward not enforcing nap/rest time lest bedtime be pushed back but it's really not working too well. I'm hoping we land in a better place this fall and in the meantime I am reading this book for advice. I'm not very far in, so thoughts to come at a later date. It's a really good thing she's so cute.

4. My parents are coming to visit and I can't wait!! It'll be a great opportunity to get out and explore some new places with additional hands to help with the kids. I am going to do my level best NOT to be sick this year so we can all hit the state fair together. P and B are really excited to see their Nana and Papa.

5. I am going out with friends tonight. The timing could NOT be better for a night out, change of scenery and much needed girl time. Now I just have to negotiate with my husband to get him to take the early shift with the kids tomorrow morning (they are still waking up at 6:00 on the dot - or even earlier sometimes).

6. I made a decision about Pacey's school schedule for kindergarten; I didn't realize how much it had been weighing on my mind til I talked to C about it and we came to a decision. I had intended to have him attend the standard kindergarten session here (half days - AM session is from 9:33 - 12:08) and then attend an optional afternoon session three days a week. There are several advantages to doing that, but I was subconsciously really worrying that it was asking too much of him to go from three half-days a week in a school he was familiar with to five mornings and three afternoons in a new school. There is still the option of extending his days later in the year if we feel comfortable with that. Next year, obviously, he will go all day every day so I am feeling less like pushing him forward into it at least until spring semester. I still have to make some decisions about how much therapy time and other activities we are going to try to keep up during the school year. He's made such wonderful progress with his speech this summer and I wish I knew how much was a result of his private therapy vs. other factors. As always, I feel exceptionally lucky to have so many options to consider but still feel the weight of being the one to decide.

7. I used to buy a lot of kids' clothes ahead in larger sizes before we moved to MN. When we began living somewhere with more distinct seasons it got harder to predict who would need what when and I stopped stocking up ahead. That means both kids need entire fall/winter wardrobes this year. They have both grown so much and changed shape such that I can't even buy online...we are going to have to actually go into stores and try things on. I can see B getting into the spirit (although I am SURE we will disagree on what is seasonally appropriate) but pretty much can't think of anything Pacey would rather do less than try on clothes. And? I'll more likely than not be shopping in the Big Boys sections. Weep.

Happy Weekend everyone.