Kiersten’s Blog

I have always thought I wanted four kids.  I’m not sure I feel that way anymore.  I’m thinking two is more than enough.  I knew the transition from one to two would be difficult, I just didn’t know how difficult it would be.  I have been driven to tears more than once.  Sometimes I wonder how I’m going to make it.  My mom left on Wednesday and on Friday I went to Hemet, where I had help from my in-laws.  Now I’m alone.  Taylor goes to work and I’m left to care for two little ones.  It’s not bad when they’re both happy, but as soon as the baby starts crying, the princess can’t handle it and the screaming, hitting, and covering the mouth starts.  For some reason, she just can’t deal with any noise coming from anybody besides her.  I have never been an advocate of spanking, and I still haven’t done it, but I can definitely see myself getting to that point.  I’ve been praying really hard that I’ll be able to handle it.  I’m sure it will get easier.  Here’s what I’m doing to try to remedy the situation.  I think I mentioned before that when Lora came to visit, she had a couple of extra Disney park hoppers that her company had given to her.  She wasn’t going to use them so she gave them to me!  I told London I would take her to Disneyland.  She has to earn it.  I made a sticker chart and gave her 5 stickers to start.  Every time Ashton cries, she has a choice.  She can yell.  She can hit.  She cover his mouth.  If she does any of these things, she loses a sticker.  If she’s good, she gets a sticker.  Once she makes it to 30, we’ll go to Disneyland.  Hopefully by then, she’ll be more tolerant.  I’m going to keep praying, but it made a huge difference this afternoon once I introduced the sticker chart.  She tries really hard now to be nice when the little guy is crying.  And she’s doing well.  This afternoon when I came out of the bathroom, she was standing next to his crib, reading him a book.  I hope she keeps this up and they become great friends.  Maybe we’ll be okay.