Texas summer heat + third trimester belly + surprisingly fast oversized toddler + opinionated preschooler = a tired mama. And a tired mama = an impatient, grumpy mama. (At least in my case.) Do you ever have those moments when you float outside your body and hear the things you’re saying to your kids – or the tone of voice you’re using, or the ridiculous threats you’re making – and think, “Chill the heck out! They’re just kids.” Yeah, me either… The point is, I can see how I *might* have been hard on my biggest boy in recent months. I just want him to behave and speak like a civilized adult. IS THAT SO…

And just like that, we almost have a 4 year old. 4. How. The only thing you really need to know about an almost-4-year-old boy is how much of the day is spent in an alternate universe. There are about 12 seconds in a 24 hour period we are not living in the land of make-believe. It’s fun, creative, cute…all of the above. It’s also incredibly hard to play along. The plot lines in his make-believe world are super complex and ever-changing. I can never quite keep up with which character he is in which moment, or what my role is, or what foods/activities/words he does and doesn’t eat/do/say as said character. And just when you think you’ve…