Terrible Two's and Hating It.

I wonder where someone came up with the phrase terrible two's. Skyler Erickson turned two yesterday and quiet honestly it threw me. I had honestly thought he was two because he acts older then his sister did at this age. He is already talking in sentences, and doing a lot of the same things Kaitlyn does. The one thing he didn't do was throw huge tantrums. It was normal for him to get mad but not a huge tantrum. The first time he threw a tantrum was a few days ago and when he was thrashing around, I kept thinking to myself, "what has gotten into him?" He has always had a temper, from the day he was born it was either screaming and yelling or being sweet as an angel. There have hardly been times when it has been in between, but this tantrum he threw was the biggest tantrum ever. He threw himself on the floor, kicking walls, screaming at the top of his lungs. I could believe Kaitlyn was able to sleep through this. It wasn't until he hit his head that he calmed down. It wasn't hard mind you but it was enough to send me flying up the stairs to his rescue. I told him it was his own fault that he had hit his head, and he says ,"uh huh. Kiss better." As soon as I kissed it better he calmed down. I was shocked. I had try to ration with him earlier but it wouldn't work. I guess he needed a distraction to get his mind off what ever it was he was throwing a tantrum about.

How am I going to survive this? Kaitlyn wasn't into throwing huge full fledged tantrums. You would think after two years I would be use to Skyler's screaming but I think he has taken to a whole new level. I can't believe how crazy it has been. I do think part of the reason is because he can feel a change in the air. He might not realize another little person will be joining our family but I think he can sense it. Any advice would be wonderful. They should make a pill or something for tantrums. They make pills for colic, gas and other wonderful things are kids go through so why not a calmer pill when they throw tantrums.

Keeping A Journal

I have found that keeping a journal has really helped me through tough times. Journals are a good thing to pass on to family members but I also believe that journals can sometimes be a place of personal revelation. There will be nights where I will write something that doesn't totally make any sense to me but later on down the road, whether it be that next week or a year from now I have always found when I read my journals over and over I learn something new from them every time.

A journal is also a good place to vent. When I vent in my journal I find that I am less frustrated at the world, my children, and anyone else who might be in my life. I am less likely to take my angrier out at people when I have written in my journal consistently. I keep a journal at my side constantly and have come to use it very regularly just to make sure I write everything I am feeling so that my children will read it some day and say, " Oh mom went through the same thing I am going through now. Oh good I am not alone."

A journal is also a place to write your memories. When I am done I love to read parts of my journal that have brought me the greatest joy or the happiest times in my life. I love my journal. When I write in my journal I feel like I have at least one person to talk to at all times.

A Thought for the Day

"children of God … and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven" (The Opening and Closing Doors by President Howard W. Hunter.) ( my sister also sent me this quote)

Life is an education. We learn and grow everyday even if we don't realize it. Trials are meant to make us stronger. God never gives us things we can't handle. I will be the first to admit that I don't always feel like I am strong enough, but I have been glance though my journals and realize I am not the same person I was a year or two years ago. I like the new person I am becoming. I am not all the way there but I all have to remember is that I have come far by staying close to the gospel. We must not give up. Never. Life is too precious.

They Do Like Each Other

I think my children try to make me believe that they don't like each other. I have caught my children on camera several times playing nicely with each other. Here are some pictures to prove my point.

See they do like each other.

Halloween

I am not big on Halloween but I love to dress my kids up and hand out candy. This year was nice because they had a better idea of what was going on. At least they knew that if they went to a house and said trick-or-treat they would get candy. Skyler this year was a ninja. He is so full of energy that it seemed to fit his personality but I could not get him to keep his bandanna to stay on his head. Kaitlyn was suppose to be a fairy but she had other plans. As I was putting her wings on she turns around and says ,"look mommy I'm a butterfly." I laughed so hard. I can't believe how clearly she talks. Sentences are becoming an every day occurrence. I love it. Anyway, as we were waiting for Dan to get home to take the kids trick or treating, we were already being hit with trick-or-treaters. The kids were so helpful. I don't know what was more fun for them, handing out the candy or actually going door to door to get candy. They would stand at the window just waiting for some group of kids to knock at the door. Oh, how I love my children. They bring so much joy into our home. They sure know how to get a laugh out of their parents. Halloween was much more fun this year then last year. Kids make life more interesting. As soon as their daddy got home they where ready to beat down the door to get out and do their own trick-or-treating. They didn't even wait to tell me good buy. They just took off with their daddy. They defiantly knew what they wanted. They didn't go more then a few blocks but man did they bring home a lot of candy. I think if I had let them they probably would have eaten all of their candy that night. They would have been so sick. Thank heavens for baths because that was the only way to get them to change their minds about getting into all of their candy. So that was the Erickson's Halloween.

Kaitlyn's Birthday

Kaitlyn turned three before I was ready for her to turn three. A few days before her third birthday I started randomly going through her baby pictures. It seems just like yesterday she learned how to walk. Now she is sprouting off sentences left and right.

It was decided that since I felt she wasn't ready for a birthday party, that we would get together with her cousins and spend a few hours at the zoo. Kaitlyn absolute loves the zoo, but this trip was different then all the others. She is a very shy little girl and has to have mommy or daddy nearby. We went to the park and it took little persuasion to get her run off and play at the park with her cousins. I was in total shock. She had grown into this little independent girl who was slowly getting rid of mommy's apron strings.

Her birthday was a success except that I forgot to take pictures of her blowing out her cupcake. We did manage to get it all over my mother in laws van. Oops. It was the first birthday that wasn't overly stressful for me or for her.