Yes, it has been a LONG time

I pretty much gave up on this blog awhile back, figuring I was past it, moving on into a new phase that didn't need a blog. And I guess I am still kind of in that mindset. But I do like to regularly check back in to see what my remaining blog friends are up to.

The past few months have been a little rocky. Our youngest - Kate - who is now 3 (yes! 3!) has become the poster child for temper tantrums. When she isn't in the throws of a temper tantrum, we are tiptoeing around her in fear of setting her off, which is absolutely no way to live. Yesterday she had 4 full blown temper tantrums.

Hubby and I are clueless about how to deal with it - we've tried everything we can think of. Ignoring. Hugging. Reasoning. Threatening. Punishing. Taking away. Rewarding. And, yes, spanking. Nothing works. We've turned her doorknob around so we can lock her in her room. We did have a child proofer on it, but she figured out how to get it off. I know that, like all things, this shall pass. But that doesn't provide much reassurance at this point. I've even googled "toddler boarding schools." Yes, that's how bad it has gotten.

On a happier note, Emma is a joy (most of the time). She turned 5 last month, is making great progress with reading, is playing soccer and taking ballet and tennis lessons. She makes jokes (albeit mostly dumb, silly ones), is kind, and still likes to snuggle. We are hoping that Kate will take some clues from her!

They both look very sweet here in this Easter picture!