Life snapshot #2

It has been 8 months since I did my first "life snapshot," so it feels like time for another one.

The good

• Summer is awesome. This is really our first "real" summer, since Nate has been in school or therapy year-round since before he was 2. Everyone loved swim lessons. Pool days are perfect; everyone is at a good age/stage for them (Nate can swim now; Lucy is basically water safe; Levi is afraid of the water, which is perfect since he just stays on the steps).
• I'm so excited about homeschooling. OK, well, to be honest, I alternate between being super excited and being overwhelmed/anxious. Of course, that's only natural. I love the idea of doing the work and being organized. It's just a matter of making sure we do the work and stay organized! :) I also don't want to over-commit to activities and groups and whatnot.
  
• Levi is irresistible. I don't remember either of the other two children ever spontaneously saying, "I love you, Mama," but this boy does. (That isn't a slight of the other two; they always respond appropriately with "I love you, too" and give hugs and cuddles.) I remember back to 6 or 7 months ago, when I was spoon-feeding Levi his soft-boiled egg one morning (too messy otherwise), he looked up and said, "Mama, you're so sweet." Those were the only words he knew to express what he wanted to say. I melted. I just love his sweet kisses and words.
• I continue to be blessed by being married to Jon. He has been working HARD lately and under lots of stress, so I especially appreciate that he comes home and is still a terrific dad and husband.

The difficult

• Fighting children. It feels like much less fighting occurs when just two children are present, but when you add in the third (doesn't matter who it is), things blow up. Nate has been pestering Lucy and Levi a lot (feels like constantly).
  
• In fact, in general it feels like I'm struggling with Nate. (The Lucy struggles are still there, but those are "normal" at this point. The Nate stuff isn't.) He acts hyper and gets all up in Lucy's and Levi's space, pestering them and stirring up fighting. He has been speaking disrespectfully and in general just kind of "hard to handle." At this point, I shouldn't have to watch him like a hawk when we're on a play date, but I feel I have to to make sure he isn't mean to the other kid(s). Part of the issue here is that I know I avoid disciplining him at times because he reacts so strongly to the discipline and I don't want to deal with the 30-minute-long fallout. So, hello, this is all starting with me!