Sleep Deprived in El Nino

Is it me or is the weather so bad that the children should have stayed in school and skipped summer vacation?

I actually like rain. I enjoy the peacefulness that comes with  a nice dreary rainy day. It always induces a contemplative mood for me. With kids, the experience is a bit less spiritual.

On a rainy day the kids complain more. The house begins to feel like prison, then the children start to revolt and eventually the house  starts to look like a junk yard...which is the point at which you are finding me.

This summer may be a bit different. El Nino, the warming and cooling of eastern Pacific waters off the west coast of South America, has developed and is expected to persist through the winter months. According to Pablo Pereira of the LA Weather Examiner, "In the USA, look for more precipitation in the arid Southwest, less wintry weather across the North and a reduced risk of Florida wildfires. The downside can include damaging winter storms in California and increased storminess in the South."

All their craziness is making me really tired (and a little crabby).

Boy #1 complains that he's bored and has nothing to do. If I let him, he would play the Wii non-stop, but I don't let him. His Wii playing time is limited to maybe 3 times per week for 30 minutes per playing period (when the little guys are ub bed). With most of his friends at camp this summer (plus all the rain), I can understand his boredom.  I remind him how lucky he is to have brothers to play with as built-in playdates.

Characteristic of Boy #2 is the knack for causing trouble when he is bored. He pushes one brother or hits another, then complains that his brothers are bugging him.Genrally, #1 and #2 play well together. They've been laying with Legos a ot and using their imagination. They also both enjoy doing crafts and drawing.

Boy #3 is loud, so there's always lots of noise when he's around. He doesn't realize how loud he is, he talks so incredibly loud that it sometimes makes my ears hurt. I'm getting his hearing checked just to be sure he doesn't have a hearing problem because when I ask him to speak quietly, he yells, "I'm talking quiet mommy!" Boy #2 is also in a hitting and throwing phase.

Boy #4 is almost walking and doesn't want to stay still anymore. Once he starts walking, I'm worried about him getting into Boy #3's things becasue it's going to cause some craziness.

It may be more stressful, (and I'm exhausted) but really, with a little creativity, there are plenty of thing to do, as long as I'm a little more patient than normal. One good thing about El Nino i that my garden is looking incredible!

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