Wow--that was a great update! I'm short on time or I'd write more, but I love, love how much you're focusing on having good times with your kids and helping them cope with changes. Yes, validation and listening work on our kids, too, and you sound like you're rocking that. I get the exhausted feeling after the go-go-go of a week like that and hope it's accompanied by the rewarding feeling of a job well done. Props, too, on the self-control to acknowledge you want to say "Let's stop this" (and stop this) without saying it.
