Things have been a little crazy lately in our household. I love being able to stay home with the kids full time but I also miss daily adult interaction. So after much thought and consideration I decided to go back to work one or two nights a week and one weekend afternoon. I found a great company, that I am pretty familiar with, that was willing to work around both mine and Jason's schedule and I started last week. Right in the middle of tax free weekend. After four years off I was a little nervous but it was like riding a bicycle and I am very happy with my decision. The kids and Jason seem to be adjusting okay. Isabella thinks I work at the movie theatre selling popcorn so no complaints from her.

William has four teeth coming in and has been a total grouch lately. Not to mention he is not the best sleeper and likes to take a morning and evening nap and stay up crying in the afternoon. This usually wakes one or both of his sisters up, not to mention drives me insane, so he is only allowed an afternoon nap. Usually around 11AM he starts in whining and it turns in to an all out wail by lunch time. This has been going on for a little over three weeks. The girls walk around with their hands over their ears or shut themselves in a bedroom to play during the daily screamfest. I'm not so lucky. Will is fully mobile now and crawls after me as I am making lunch or cleaning up the morning mess. If I hold him to try and quiet the screaming he immediately falls asleep. Every day I can't help but remember the Friends episode when Rachel and Janice are in labor together and Ross makes a comment about Janice's semi-deaf husband. Hopefully the teeth come in soon and I get my happy little guy back soon.

Everyone told me that the second child is laid back and follows what the older sibling does. Not my Amelia. She has a mind of her own and while she likes to be like big sister she also wants to do things herself her own way. She has also officially entered the terrible twos. I don't remember it being this early or this bad with Isabella. Amelia's favorite word right now is "no" and she repeats it after every question. She has also taken to throwing herself on to the ground if she doesn't get her way. I ignore this behavior and usually just step right over her as she is laying on the floor wailing. She will get up and throw herself down again in front of me as if I missed the first Oscar worthy production. Thankfully ignoring this behavior seems to be working as it is limited only to our house and people always tell me how well behaved and well mannered she is for 20 months.

Isabella has a horrible case of the "me firsts". She has to be first at everything, every time. She starts preschool next Wednesday and I have tried to prepare her all summer for the harsh reality that she won't always get to be first and the importance of waiting our turn. We have even started alternating days where Isabella gets to do everything first one day and Amelia the next. Some days, of course, go smoother than others. I just hope that she actually learns good things in preschool and doesn't bring home bad habits that I try to keep out of our household. I recently read a friend's post on manners and it was like reading about our own house :) I was so relieved to read about another mom teaching her two young daughters the same values we do. I know my kids are young but I have always felt they are never too young to learn to be polite and respectful of themselves and others. It makes me sad that common courtesies aren't being taught in every household anymore.