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Worried about the toddler

Maybe its because two of his three preschool teachers were summarily fired last week, or maybe its because he can sense my heightened stress level now that I'm back working full time, but what ever the cause, Nathan has been acting out. The last several days, he talks back more, runs around wild, and deliberately tests all our limits. His toilet training is worsening and every day last week he had multiple potty accidents. The last two days, he's gotten in trouble with pushing and hitting kids at school. When Gary picked him up yesterday, they had Nathan isolated at a separate table from the other children for snack time because he wasn't able to keep his hands to himself.

I worry about him, but Gary and I are doing are best. At home we've counter-attacked with a strategy of strong positive reinforcement for good behaviors and staunchly ignoring bad ones. We've brought out the big guns - stickers, hugs, silly songs and even ... quarters. It takes a ton of patience on our part, but I don't want Nathan to feel neglected.

Hermosa Beach 5k

I'm proud of myself, my friends and my family for joining me in the Hermosa Beach 5k. I hadn't run a race since before Nathan was born and really missed the excitement and satisfaction of it. I ran the 5k, pushing Benjamin in the stroller, in 33 minutes - not too shabby. Nathan raced 100 yards with the other 3 year-olds. He fell down once, but got back up and finished strong.

Having said how much I enjoyed the race, unfortunately now that I'm back at work, it is much harder for me to find time to exercise. Luckily the gym is only a few blocks from work and I manage to squeeze in time there a couple times a week. I'm going to try to incorporate more cycling and swimming to give my ankles a break.

Back to Work

Going back to work has been draining. The new routine to get both kids ready in the morning and get them to daycare on time is a challenge. It seems Nathan is endlessly getting distracted or needing attention. Thankfully, Benjamin's needs are more simple and more predictable.

Work is okay, but I'm having a hard time getting back in the swing of things. It doesn't help that several folks have saved up projects for me or that my secretary has gone out on disability. The one nice thing about coming back is being reminded how much my colleagues appreciate me. I got a ton of enthusiastic "Welcome back"s and plenty of "We missed you!"

Between mastitis, a sprained ankle and anxiety over sending the baby to daycare, I have not been feeling very well lately. Luckily I am now on antibiotics, biking more, running less, and baking brownies for the kids' teachers.

Oh and Happy Birthday Dad!