Six Riddles: Oh the joys of children!

So I took the girls to Dollywood for the very first time this past week and they had a blast. They absolutely loved Dolly Parton (even though she wasn't even there!). They continually called her (and still do now) Dolly Partment. I think at one point they even called her Jelly Apartment. But they really enjoyed the shows (we were there during the Festival of Nations) and playing in the water areas. I was a little disappointed that they took out the big playground area that was in the middle of the park but they had fun anyway. They made friends with a police officer while they were there as well. It was funny seeing a cop have a full on conversation with a 2 1/2 and a 3 1/2 year old! I was merely there to translate if it was necessary lol.

Dealing with their tantrums on the other hand is a whole different ballgame. I am so tired of telling Ella repeatedly to do something or stop doing something and she COMPLETELY ignores me. As soon as I scream at her, she does it. I hate screaming at her but it is literally the ONLY way to get her to listen. I go hoarse by the end of the day with as many times as I have to do this! I pray that I am in the same boat with many other parents and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Ava did not go through this phase so I don't know how it shapes up throughout the year! Ava's new thing is to tell me I hurt her feelings if I don't let her do something that she really wants to do or something like that. Ava's biggest thing that aggravates me is her mouth. She is extremely cocky and sarcastic. I swear she is nearly four going on fourteen. Lord help me when she IS fourteen!

The other day we did some outside Easter pictures and I was way more pleased with these as compared to the ones I did in their room a few weeks ago. Ava was a ham as usual while Ella got a little bored after a while. Then when we went out to a barbeque barn that evening we found several spots that were perfect for pictures, I just wish the kids had been just as enthusiastic about it! Glad they were all good sports about it and at least sat still!

Overall, we are doing a little better with Brian being gone. It still bites that he isn't here all the time but it does make our time together that one weekend a month that much better. We try to spend all the time we can together while also seeing other people I know he wants to see. Next week I am flying up for our 5th anniversary, we are going to a Phillies/Braves game Friday night in Philly and then on to NYC early Saturday morning where we will hang out there all day Saturday, go to a nice restaurant that night and stay at the Waldorf Astoria! I am so excited. We haven't had a weekend just the two of us in almost two years (that I can remember anyway).