Tuesday, July 23, 2019

In a good place!

Last week, I changed up my strategy to help me manage my two older boys at bedtime. I call it "peace without victory", and any claims that Woodrow Wilson came up with the concept are false.

Let me paint the picture. It's 8:30, the boys are supposed to be asleep, but instead, DanPar just bonked Crash because Crash was making a face at him. Yeah, two tired kids can act pretty badly sometimes. Instead of focusing my attention on scolding DanPar, I now tend to Crash, making sure he's okay, and not too sad. Without raising my voice, I tell DanPar that what he did was mean, and he needs to choose one of his toys to put outside his room. I snuggle the Crash-a-Boy while DanPar dutifully chooses a stuffed animal to lose for the night, and as they settle down, we remember the rules, "Quiet, nice, and careful." I ask DanPar not to hit his brother, and ask Crash not to make faces.
De-escalated.
Peace.
In a just world, DanPar would have gotten his due, but this way, he knows that hitting his brother isn't going to get him attention.

It's far from a perfect situation, but it's a good place.

They are such good boys! At baby storytime, doing very well not to step on babies!

Another good place I'm in, is my eating habits! I eat oodles of fruits and vegetables. The goal is to find a diet that works for you. While I think the best way is to count calories, it's too much work for me, but this works! I'm back down to the not-overweight weight I was at before our anniversary, and I'm not suffering! (Not too much, anyways.) I'm a size 34 waist, and Jessi found a bunch of Large-Tall sized t-shirts for me!

I enjoy my fruits, I eat lots of watermelon, and I'm not guilty about a treat. It's a good place!

We went to Sprouts after I decided on just eating all the fruits and veggies!

Moving on from the t-shirts, after my Lasik, I'm shaking up my style a bit! I want to look good. I'm looking for a nice necklace to wear, I've got shorts that fit, and I'm wondering if I should shave my beard. It's been years since I've shaved! What if I lose my paternal superpowers I've been working so hard on?

Looking good? Good place.

That is one handsome Dadmaster!

Last one. Free time. Books. I love to read, and I've really been enjoying my Father's Day Kindle that Jessi (and the boys) got me! Books are free from the library, and I'm a moderately fast reader! I've also been working on a tabletop game, which is always fun for me, and gives me something to think about. That's how I fall asleep quickly, I've realized. I daydream about the things my mind conjures up, and eventually those daydreams fade into dream-dreams! It means I can take quick naps, and it means that I've got projects to work on whenever I've got free time, but with no pressure!

Side projects and good dreams are good place things, too.

Building robots to defend the Earth!


How am I doing? Right now, I'm doing great! I haven't felt this good in a long time. I know that I'm walking a tightrope above stress, and last week was rough on me. But right now? I'm in a good place, and I intend on showing off!

In the ultimate wagon!

The best baby!

At storytime with his peers!

He's gonna have a great school photo!

My boys "helping" me with the board game!

They can wear as many buckets as they want, as long as they behave at the eye doctor!

Fun with felt!

Running to the water table to refill their squirters to put out the grill fire!