Going Backwards

I don't know what I did with my life when I only had one kid, but for all I complain about being so busy, I definitely don't like going backwards.  Jamie and Charlie spent the week with my parents, and my life was boring sad existence without them.   Oh sure, I got lots accomplished...all the school stuff reorganized and packed, books organized, their room reorganized and packed as much as possible, laundry done, meals on time...the kitchen was obnoxiously clean.  Robbie and I played with play dough, read books, did puzzles...and I still had time left over.    Where was all this time when it was just Jamie and I?  I swear it's a time warp continuum thing of some kind.

And it was so quiet, which had nothing to do with Robbie being a quiet kid (his idea of quiet, is stomping on his toys and hollering like a gorilla claiming his territory), and everything to do with the lack of Jamie's nonstop commentary on life.  Sometimes I think God gave him to me just to teach me structure.   I spend a great deal of effort remaining spontaneous and flexible, only to have it constantly thwarted by my eldest trying to weasel his way from "maybe" and "that could be a good idea" to distinct yes's and noes. Ho hum.

Christmas break is officially over, and school starts tomorrow morning.  I don't know who is dreading it more...Jamie or I.  I'd had grand plans for our two week vacation....lots of of reading books as a family, going over memory work, and making math equations with cookie dough.  Instead we spent it traveling, making memories with far away family members and reveling in just general merrymaking.   I guess it was a fair trade. 

I don't have any New Year's resolutions, but I do have new tricks and schemes up my sleeve for remaining sane this year, and my new secret weapon for getting my kids to calm down at night is magnesium oil, which I'm renaming "Magic Kid Sleeping Potion".  I already knew it worked well to help Jamie sleep, because I've mixed magnesium in juice and forced it down him when he's crazier than a cat in a shower with a tin can tied on its tail.   It doesn't help Jamie sleep longer per se, but it does help him to go to sleep faster.

"Magnesium is vital for the function of GABA receptors, which exist across all areas of the brain and nervous system. GABA is a calming neurotransmitter that the brain requires to switch off; without it, we remain tense, our thoughts race and we lie in bed staring at the ceiling. Whether the brain is in 'on' of 'off' mode is a very complex area, and can also be affected by chemicals like noradrenaline, serotonin and histamine. However, on a more simple level, the most crucial balance is that of GABA vs glutamate. Whereas GABA calms, glutamate fires the brain into higher states of activity; you use the latter when solving sudoku puzzles, but you need GABA to prevail in order to go to sleep."

Basically, if you have problems shutting your brain off at night like certain little superheros in my household sometimes do, you might find magnesium helps. 




Speaking of...it's time to dose up and go to bed.   Those math lessons aren't going to get done by themselves tomorrow.  :-/