Princesses

Last week I had Savannah helping me in the yard by watering the plants. I asked her, "Savannah, can you help me water the jasmine?" She poured water on the plant, then ran over to the next plant, asking something I couldn't quite yet understand. She was so excited, and kept repeating her question as she stood infront of the plant. Then it hit me! She was asking, "Is this CINDERELLA??"

Happy Anniversary

6 years, and still going strong! Yet, the past year was not void of any bumps and bruises on the way. It was one of our most challenging so far! Robert was juggling being a husband, father, children's worship leader, employee, and student. I was adjusting to being a wife, mother, and homemaker, plus throw in part-time employee in the last quarter of our 5th year. It was tough! We went through a time of either being on good terms with each other to barely talking at all.

We are still working on learning to organize and prioritize our time as a family, communicate more effectively, balancing responsibilities, and being a TEAM. We savor the times when it is just the two of us, or even just having the time to REALLY talk about the things going on in our lives while driving from one place to another and the girls are fast asleep in the back seat. Most of all, we are enjoying parenthood...EVERY part of it!

I LOVE YOU, BABES!! Happy 6th Anniversary!

Happy Easter

At the Cross

At the cross
I find peace at the cross
I find life at the cross
You suffered and died for me

Your blood has washed me whiter than snow
Forgiveness is found at the crimson flow
Mercy has triumphed, my debt has been paid
At the cross


Blessed Assurance -- Fanny J. Crosby, Phoebe P. Knapp

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood!

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight!
Visions of rapture now burst at my sight!
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Perfect submission, all is at rest.
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Carlsbad Flower Fields

Our trip to the Carlsbad Flower Fields was a little early this year, but it was on one of the few Saturdays Robert didn't have class. The best time to go, if you want to see the entire field in bloom, is mid-April. We're just happy there were flowers in bloom around the fountain and the far left side of the field.

We took Mike and Alyssa with us, and also met up with Kuya Mike and Ate Inday at the Harbor Fish Cafe. We're hoping that we can go again with the Edwards for the annual COUSINS trip to the flower fields.

Here are some pictures of the girls:

Happy Hunting

Our church hosted an Easter Egg hunt at Valley Oak Park in Irvine. It was a great event for the church body to reach out to our neighbors in the community. There was face-painting, bounce houses, breakfast, raffles, and the egg hunt. Most importantly, Pastor Andy shared the true reason why we celebrate Easter--JESUS!

Sigh

Quite often, sighs are used to express sadness, frustration, or relief. Today, I use it to express all of the above...at once.

I left this morning in a rush, with just enough time to kiss Gaby on the head and drive Savannah off to daycare. I could tell, as soon as we got out of the car, that Savannah was already dreading the moment of me leaving. When we walked in, she made her way to Miss Claudia, and started crying. I'm thinking, I haven't even signed in and she's already crying? I still have to say goodbye!! Of course, saying goodbye made her cry all the more. I told her, the same thing I tell her every time I leave, that I love her and to have fun today, and that I will be back after nap and playtime. It really tears up my heart to see her so sad, and like any mother, all I wanted to do was to stay and comfort her.

Most of my work day was quite interesting. I was looking forward to working with Nicholas--he is SO smart and a delight! He seemed alright when I got there. His mom walked him upstairs and was able to leave the room without any problems. We got busy putting puzzles together and using appropriate language, labeling, and requesting. I figured I could run one of his programs using puzzle pieces to keep him motivated. Umm...NOPE! In fact, most of his session resulted in tears and screaming upon being required to make requests. Also, whatever activity he initiated brought on more frustration and more crying. I could not figure out what he wanted. His mom came up to see what was going on. He was still crying, on and off, even with mom there to play with us. Before the first hour was up, we actually got his mood back up playing ball. Unfortunately, his baby brother woke up and mom needed to leave to tend to him. The tears came back, worse than before. Mom came back and, as she said, it was "in stereo". She suggested that our session end early. Nicki just wasn't himself today. His allergies were bugging him, and so were his up-and-coming molars. I got him to help me clean up before leaving, so at least we ended on a good note. While I was writing in his book, I could hear him crying, and Mom and grandma trying to figure out what was bothering him. He seemed much better when I got downstairs. He said goodbye with a big smile, and ALMOST gave me a hug. I still feel loved, especially when I heard him scream as soon as I closed the door--Grandma says he does that because he's sad when his therapists leave.

Since I was done early, Robert and I were able to meet up in Tustin for a lunch date at Wahoo's. It's nice that we can do that, even when we're driving around Orange County (or LA).

After lunch, I made my way to my next case in Santa Ana. This was my first visit, so I was unsure in regards to my directions. I was starting to feel lost the further I got from the freeway and more towards the middle of Santa Ana. I was already at Bristol, and still had not seen the street I was looking for. I tried calling the parents, but the number was disconnected. I called Crissy, but she wasn't even in the office to help me with directions or get a hold of the family. I also put in a call to the case supervisor and was lucky to have her call back. By then, I had found the apartment complex but still had to run to the office to get a parking permit. Huffing and puffing, I made to their apartment. At this time, it was already 12:30 pm. A woman opened the door and looked at me strangely. I introduced myself and told her I was here to work with Hector. She said, "No...", which was such a strange response that I didn't know what to make of it. I asked if Hector lived there. She said, "Yes.". Okay. At least I was where I was supposed to be. My last question to her was if he was coming back soon. She then told me in Spanish, "No habla ingles.". I really need to learn some basic Spanish! She closed the door, and I called Crissy back to update and left for the mall.

It was definitely a treat to be at the mall, even on a time crunch, and browse around Old Navy. Usually, when I take the girls with me, I make my way quickly up and down the store, scanning for cute outfits and wishing I could take the whole experience at a slower pace.

The end of my work day was back to normal. I got the best "pick-me-up" session with Luke. He was so happy and excited to spend time with me. We played, we learned, and laughed! I got lots of smiles and hugs, and he did so great with his programs. I was so proud of him! I left to pick up Savannah, more lighthearted than when I started my day.

Savannah greeted me with her usual "MY MOMMY!", accompanied with a big smile and hug. I heard good reports from Miss Laura too, about how well she's adjusting and socializing with everybody. She's also been initiating using the potty--ALL BY HERSELF, of course--and might start potty training there in a couple of weeks. On the way home, Savannah told me that she had cried in the morning. I asked her if she missed me while I was working. She nodded, and I told her that I missed her too, but that I always come back after nap and playtime.

Savannah's attitude and behaviors have also gotten better at home. In fact, I failed to mention that after her big tantrum last Friday, she has been doing a better job listening and obeying Mommy. That also includes potty and bedtime.

I am so proud of our girls! They are SO smart, loving, and bubbling with joy. I end this entry with another sigh. As of 9 pm, both Savannah and Gaby are fast asleep, in THEIR bedroom. YES, in THEIR own beds!

Challenges

Within this past month, Sunday night is the start of my anxiety for the week. The laundry is piling up again--didn't I just finish doing the laundry on Friday?? What are we going to cook for next week? Do we need to hit the grocery stores one last time? We have to get the girls back into their "normal" routine!

Sometimes, our weekends are just as busy as our weekdays, in that we're going from one store to another. We do enjoy our walks up and down the aisles at Costco, grazing from one food sample stop to another...and then back again to our FAVORITES. By the time we get home, we've got a dozen bags from Henry's and a couple from Trader Joe's. Then, it's time to put all the groceries away, cook a meal or two, squeeze in some play time and family time before getting through dinner and flying through bedtime routines.

Sunday is the one day that's more laid back for us. Sometimes Savannah (and Robert) get a nap in the afternoon. It's also the one day we're free to visit Gramma and Grampa, especially since it's Grampa's day off. It's an added bonus if Alyssa and Mike are there too! But as the hours pass, and the day is drawing to a close, I feel my stress level start to rise. Another week starting, which means it's time to juggle all my responsibilities, which seem endless.

My top challenges are related to cooking, taking care of the household chores, and disciplining.

I have grown to enjoy cooking, and definitely love making cream of chicken and cream of mushroom for our newly-found favorite recipes. The problem is that it takes time--a whole lot of time--to make, and that's just one ingredient in the recipe. In the meantime, I am missing out on playing with Savannah and Gaby. There's still the crockpot, but it takes planning to make sure everything is ready (and thawed out) in the morning. AND planning has not been my forte the past few weeks.

I am thankful that I am able to put together a really good breakfast, lunch and snack for Savannah's school days. As for Robert and myself, we have to find our lunches somewhere between clients.

On to household chores! The laundry is the chore I would like to do without, but cannot do without unless wearing nothing is acceptable in public. I don't know where all the clothes come from. Midweek, I am close to rejoicing that all the piles on the floor have made it through the wash and all I'm left to do is to put them all away. Suddenly, as if dropped off by the mother ship, there are two more piles to take care of before the weekend.

I am just happy that I can now see my desk and not have to be resting my arms on piles of "stuff" and tiptoe-typing. I am also enjoying a halfway organized bedroom. Not quite there yet on saying that it's a relaxing environment to escape to. The toys from downstairs seem to be making their way into our closets and spreading out on the floor.

The house is now cleared of Christmas decor. Yes, we finally got them all down and boxed just last weekend. I have pause and smile, and be appreciative of the stress it puts on me and my mom to have the house cleaned and dinner ready for their home fellowship night. If home fellowship didn't meet here this month, we'd probably still have Christmas decorations up until next month!

Now, anyone coming over wouldn't think there's a lot of clean up yet to be done. But, if you know us Niedo women, there is always, ALWAYS something to clean. And I'm not talking about the BIG projects either (the garage and the guest room). I'm just thinking about the kitchen counters that need a good wipe down, and that includes the items on the counters. The floors need vacuuming and mopping. The little things need to be put away, or make their way to the trash. Speaking of the trash, I think we're holding on to two weeks of dirty diaper trash--EWW!

Robert and I are still ironing out the kinks in our schedules, especially on the days that I work. It's getting better, especially in keeping more consistent with Savannah's bedtime routine. Just as I typed that out, I know that we have a lot of work ahead of us in giving Gaby a better bedtime routine. I do miss winding down at the end of the day with a few good shows and a bowl of coffee ice cream with strawberries. At this point in my life, going to bed close to 10:30 pm has become my first choice--obviously, tonight is not one of those nights...and I didn't even need caffeine to give me this extra kick!!

I saved our biggest challenge, and highest in importance for last: disciplining Savannah. It has grown increasingly more difficult the past couple of months. She seems to be more argumentative, and resistant. The potty issue is the worst. When Gaby was much younger, Savannah was getting to the point where she would go and sit on the toilet all by herself, and even change her own pull up. My attempts to getting her to sit on the toilet are met with the following phrases:

No, not yet!
I don't need to go potty.
I pee-pee already (last night).
There's nothing there.

At the same time, I am walking her to the bathroom while she's protesting and the behaviors are getting worse by each step. Bedtime can be like that too, especially when she's fighting sleep and wanting to stay up and watch a movie or play. We've dealt with nights of crying, screaming, and full blown tantrums lasting almost half an hour--try that at three in the morning.

Spankings are not working. In fact, they seem to escalate the behaviors, and we're seeing more aggression in her. Time outs are still our best option. Keeping her there until her time out is over is the tough part. We always talk to her about why she is getting the consequences we're giving her, and we know that she is truly understanding how they go hand in hand. She's put her own dolls in time out for the same offenses, saying, "___ is not listen-obey me." or "___ hit me.". She's even taken Pa to come see Charlie in time out, and said to him, "Pa, this is what I do.". She is a very smart girl and I know she thinks about these things and is coming to a better understanding how it all works out.