Mish Mash

Well, I had a heck of a day.

The cold medicine that Piper injested last night did help her go to sleep without getting out of bed. Of course then she woke up at 1:30 am WIDE AWAKE. She didn't go back to sleep for 2 hours. Then Bridget woke up. Needless to say, I've been exhausted today.

I was supposed to work this evening. I was supposed to work Sunday, but the girl who I was working for ended up giving the day to someone else and not telling me. So, I wasn't on the schedule when I got there. Then today I wasn't on the schedule again. Our scheduler knew I'd picked up the day, she'd just forgotten to put me on. So, that's 2 shifts I'll be missing from my paycheck. On the upside, they were very happy with my work on the med sheets and are hoping I will come back and do it again. Which I will. They also keep offering me full time work. That, I wont do.

So it was back home this evening, where I enlisted the entire family to help me with our weekly home blessing hour, which I was too tired to accomplish this morning. Nothing cuter than watching Piper follow Reagan around with a swiffer duster in her hands, trying very hard to be a big helpful girl.

I've become mildly obsessed with the TCOYF message boards, on which I am a prolific poster. I was checking out the Attachment Parenting board a lot, and ended up with drama. Isn't that what always happens when women discuss the sensitive topic of parenting? Well, I hadn't thought so. I'm pretty AP. I breastfeed, babywear, respond to my children's needs, use gentle discipline (ya, I threw out To Train Up A Child a while ago when I found that to continue with it would possibly constitute abuse with Piper), avoid frequent absences from my children, try to balance family life, and I meet their night-time needs (though we don't co-sleep). But I'm not crunchy! I don't cloth diaper, eat organic, I circumcized Reagan, use time out and probably do a lot of other things that other AP moms do. Not to mention I really try to make sure that gentle discipline isn't permissive discipline. Like one mom encouraged me to just LET Piper climb all over things if it makes her happy. Ya, whatever makes them happy. To heck with danger!

So, when I asked about time-outs, and was attacked for using them, I defended what I do. Which IS NOT THE SAME as attacking what they're doing. If it works for them, and they like it, great. But I don't like hearing phrases like, "that's punitive parenting". It makes me defensive. Not offensive, defensive. After several issues like that, I finally asked what they're definition of AP was? I was starting to wonder if I really fit in to the AP mold? Instead of getting definitions, I got suspicion and and the idea that the 8 ideals that API have listed on their website are rules, and if you don't do all of them, you're not an attachment parent. And maybe if I wanted support for my unique brand of parenting I should go elsewhere.

Ya, I was knocked over with support and friendliness. Of course then I got messages from other AP moms who are afraid to post there for fear of having their heads pinched off for saying the "wrong" thing.

It was an eye opener. Apparently all women don't grow up after high school. And they can be VERY defensive when it comes to parenting. Sometimes down right militant. And I'm too old and too tired to deal with that.

And I'm getting hot flashes. Gotta love early pregnancy hormones. But I'm SO grateful to have some life inside, some joy on the horizon. I'm also scared to death.