Mornings...

I think our situation might be unique since most of you don't live life with another family. Alayna has had the hardest time adjusting to the fact that our little family lives downstairs. Yes, we live downstairs...we don't live with the cousins upstairs. No matter how much she wishes we did, we don't. This has increasingly become more of a struggle since she learned how to open door knobs...yes it's been about a two year long battle! We tried child proofing the door, but that only worked for 30 seconds until she knocked and her cousins opened the door.

I have found myself in a cycle that is repeating. About 2 years ago Alayna learned how to "escape" from the basement to the upstairs. This would result in me hiking the stairs and chasing her around upstairs and literally hauling her down kicking and screaming. Another kid added to the mix and yes, this pregnant mommy is not just hauling one kid, but two kids down the stairs kicking and screaming. Oh, the joys. If only Shandra and the kids didn't make it such a fun place for them to be!

Now, speaking of the dreaded morning routine...Recently, given the fact that this baby #3 is draining my energy in the morning I have a VERY hard time getting out of bed. I used to have this wonderful personal morning routine, but for the past 5 months I can't shake the groggy pregnancy tiredness. This only frustrates Alayna more (and me!). She's a chipper happy thing most mornings. So having a sleeping mom and brother is the LAST thing she wants to wake up too. She's so nice she doesn't wake me up...but sometimes she does wake her little sleepy brother up (hence the picture above). She just gets up and wants to go straight up stairs. That's a BIG NO NO. So the other day, I just snapped. I couldn't handle the fact that she went up there. I'd had it. It was 7am in the morning the "upstairs" as we call them were still sleeping. I thought I heard a noise and yes, it was her creeping around trying to find a friend to play with. I rolled myself out of bed and gave a 3 1/2 year old (almost 4 year old) a too grown up lecture. I just can't ban her from upstairs? We walk up there to leave? What type of a consequence is there for her to understand, "We do not go upstairs until....." you get the idea. Anyways, I'm hoping the "grown up" lecture will last...she was successful this morning, so one day down...hopefully many more to go! We've tried the sticker chart, candy, bribery, anything...nothing seems to last. This battle will only last as long as we live here, so I really must appreciate every other fabulous part about living here and just accept the fact that I will have one complaint.