Mommy Guilt

Well, Stan and I did have a chance to get away this weekend...and boy was it needed. We went to our dear friends Carol and Andy's wedding in Newport, NC. We got to spend one night away thanks to our lovely Aunt Moo-moo and Nanny.

The wedding was beautiful- right on the Albemarle Sound and the weather was absolutely perfect. It was a tear jerker for me as I watched my dear friend marry such a loving, caring, genuine man. It did my heart good.

We were invited to another wedding this weekend too- my cousin, Dan, and his now wife, Kara. It was in Tucson, AZ. We hated to miss it but could not make the distance with the two little ones- esp. Connor. Boy were we thinking of all those Freys though, we were there in spirit for sure!! Dan and his twin Greg, have always been very special to me. Our parents always made a point to get us kids together and it sure made a difference. I have always felt very close to my cousins and just hated to miss Dan's wedding. Booo.

So, where does the mommy guilt come in? Well, I did not feel guilty for leaving my little boys for a night. It was actually very good for Stan and I to spend that time away. I feel very strongly about caring for our marriage first so that we can better care for our children. The boys were left in very capable hands and had a great time.

I guess the guilt is just a part of it. Am I doing all the "right" things and by the way, what are the "right" things? And, particularly with my Landon. Landon has continued to be a very spirited child, one I absolutely adore, but do not know how to parent sometimes. I believe he is giving up his naps. That is ok with me as long as he has a "quiet time" and is not a holy terror at night. That is where the problem is now lying. He will not stay in his room and he screams and throws things. I cannot let Connor nap upstairs because of the noise level. I have tried positive and negative reinforcement, neither of which work. He can get out of his room even with the parent door handle.

Today, I told him he just needed to be quiet and stay in his room (he has books, puzzles, blocks) and I would come get him and we could go play outside. I feel like I am giving him and out, then I think- is he too young to be expected to sit there for an hour by himself being quiet? I don't know. The he looks and IS so tired that nighttime is a continuous battle. No fun for anyone.

One suggestion I read was to let him watch a movie for quiet time. I am not a huge fan of more TV. I try to limit it. I often feel like I know a lot about childhood development and behavior, but he definitely throws me for a loop...and OFTEN. Anyone have any great strategies?

Here are some recent pictures- enjoy!

Every time Landon is Superman, Stan has to be too!

Connor and his little girlfriend, Anna. They are a week apart and next door neighbors! We are so blessed to have playmates right next door!

Landon in our new playroom. I decided to give up trying to have a "sitting room" for now. It is much better used space as a playroom and Landon is thrilled!

Stan and I couldn't figure out what to bring Connor home from the beach as his little prize. After all, 2nd borns already have all the hand me down toys...so we got him some prunes. Hahahaha! You can see, he was quite pleased with our gift! :)