Wrapping Order, A little Quiet Time, and the Nursing Dance

I probably should break this post into three due to the importance of each of the title topics in our household but because they all overlapped today I'm putting them in one daily update.

Being that tomorrow is Christmas eve, and I hate leaving holiday preparations till the last minute (unlike hubby) today was a day to wrap up some projects and wrap a lot of presents. We did more painting with the kids and I will put up a picture of our completed tree tomorrow. It's really been a month's worth of work and fun and I may have to leave it up till February with all the time and fun the kids and I put into it. I'm sure after this I'm going to have to refocus on an Easter or Spring project marathon to make it through the next few months...and then Fourth of July and Summer projects, and so on until next Christmas.

Anyway I had already wrapped some of the gifts, late at night when the kids were in bed, but this was the first day I did mass wrapping with them awake and wanting to participate. I don't mind the occasional help folding or the reminders that I need tape every 30 seconds...even when I haven't gotten any paper yet but there is one rule of our wrapping order to keep order: the kids presents don't go under the tree until Christmas eve and Santa's arrival. C and J are both very good at not peaking or unwrapping early but they are definitely very very excited about their own gifts appearing. To the extent they have to check each gift I wrap to make sure it's not theirs and I'm not putting the wrong name on it by mistake. C and J both even brought me some of their current toys to wrap so they could unwrap them now lol. I couldn't imagine the torture for them knowing one of the gifts I was wrapping was theirs but they weren't allowed to open it yet.

C has been asking me every day since last week if it was Christmas and Jesus' birthday yet? If I responded it was 7 days from now she'd try and bargain it was 4. If I said "It's on Saturday" she'd say "well tomorrow's Saturday" or "how bout we have it Tuesday?" J has taken another approach saying "I will wait Mommy! I'm a good boy! Santa will come see me soon!", "Christmas is soon!" He doesn't care as much about the countdown but rather simply trusts that it's coming and he's getting ready and not rushing it.

J's been continuing to do great with potty training. We haven't tried a trip outside the house sans diaper or pull ups yet but that's definitely the next step. He's been doing really good and it's definitely another great early Christmas present for Mommy and Daddy. I'm hoping the Christmas excitement doesn't get in the way of this but I'll probably keep the training potty in the living room as a back up reminder just in case (he's been just using the 'big potty' the past couple days).

Another development of the last couple weeks that C has finally accepted for herself is "A Little Quiet Time" and J has followed suit with the concept. Often in the past if the kids had outbursts (usually out of being tired and frustrated) I would take them aside for some alone time to relax and play alone, read, or lay down for a little. When they calmed down they would come out of their room and rejoin the rest of the family playing or they would fall asleep and when they woke up later not even remember what they'd been upset over.

When we were having a playdate a few months ago with some friends their four year old showed us the next step of this practice when he got upset and instead of being told, he told his parents he needed some quiet time. He calmly took himself out of the situation that was upsetting him and came back later relaxed and happy to play again. I was amazed to see the child recognizing this need. Well now C has started recognizing as well. I feel this is definitely an amazing skill to have at a young age when frustration is so easy to come by and I'm very happy that not only C has gotten this but J has too (at two that's a feat). They still don't use it every time but they are doing it most times and it seems to be reducing the issues and frustration between them immensely. I can see how if we nurture this habit even more it will benefit them even more when they start various group activities where Mommy and Daddy won't be there to remind them of quiet time they'll still recognize the need for it.

Along with wrapping, doing crafts (making E her new shoes and several Christmas gifts) and my children asking for "quiet time" I found myself frequently in what I like to call the nursing dance. With C I only had one child while nursing and could sit down and relax with her during feedings. With J I had to learn to nursing walk, as it sounds to walk while nursing him so I could keep up with C. I also often would be sitting on the floor playing and talking to C while J lay in my lap nursing. Well now with E and two toddlers who needs lots of attention too of course E and I have focused on our nursing dance. This means for the majority of the daytime feedings I am moving while nursing. I may be loading laundry, I may have E in the wrap and be playing with the kids, or I may be actually dancing (one of E's favorites) in between the chores and activities. I find myself swaying and rocking as I walk with E suckling contently. And surprisingly we've both gotten so used to this that sometimes she'll get mad if I stop the gentle movements and attempt to nurse her standing still.

At night and first thing in the morning, when C and J are asleep E will nurse and laugh at me while we sit together and occasionally she'll let me sit if we find the time but the rest of the time we spend dancing together. Even with a hundred different things in progress I feel her and I are in our own little bubble of calmness during our "dancing." I will always treasure this memory and skill of sorts and I really hope any more children we add to our family in the future love to dance too.