Change

Well, my 9 year old has been at my mother's for 4 days now. He hasn't talked about us, doesn't miss us, or anything. We, of course, are dying here. It's really hard without him, but we know he really needed this break. He's feeling much better, and doesn't feel the pressure of life, or the stress of his brothers.

Meanwhile, back at home, we're working on a few things around here. First, we have been working on the attitude of my 10 year old. We're figuring out when he's acting out the most, although we haven't figured out why just yet. Secondly, my 7 year old is working on coping techniques that will make him relax, rather than freak out, when confronted by his bigger and meaner older brother. He's taking to doing Tai Chi with me, and finds it as calming as I do.

Third, we're working on changing the boys' rooms around. We have the big bedroom set up and almost finished. The 10 and 9 year old will share this room, as they really are the ones that get along the best. We moved the 9 year old in there, along with changing his dresser, closet, bookshelf, and a few other things. The 1o year old is there, too, with his mattress (he doesn't have a bed) and his dresser. We've also decided, at least for now, to give them a TV and DVD player on a trial basis.

The other bedroom is a bit harder, but it's coming along. They younger ones have a LOT of toys, many of which I think need to go. This is a bit difficult, because they really seem to play with ALL the toys. I've decided to let them go through the toys and decide what they really want, and not, to make room. Meanwhile I'm weeding out their excess clothes, books, and other nonsense.

Everyone, so far, seems happy about this move. Of course, it will be a surprise for the 9 year old when he comes back. I think the fact that the room is CLEAN will have a huge calming effect, so that will be a bonus. And, the fact that their rooms are clean (or almost clean) is really helping me, too. I'm looking forward to getting them finished, so I can concentrate on getting the rest of the house clean again.

And we just found out that my husband has orders during the summer, so that will mess a LOT of things up. First, he'll be gone for 6 weeks which will be really hard on the kids. Second, I'll be alone, and that makes the summer really hard for me--especially school. Third, our vacation plans are now shot. We won't be able to visit family as planned in June. It's not the end of the world, of course, but it really puts a damper on things. We'll just have to reschedule vacation...or go on it without him (not what I really want to do!)

That's our update for now. Not very exciting, but it's nice to talk about things.