Tuesday, September 30, 2008

There Are Witnesses

EL - you are officially a biter. Your dad saw you grab hold of MG's chubby little hand when she pushed you out of the way and set your chompers to her. I'm not sure what to do with you and I understand that, since IV and MG are ruthless toy thieves and you aren't as strong and don't move as quickly, you don't have many means of defending yourself. HOWEVER, you bit me yesterday in the shoulder and it hurt. Then, when I corrected you I received that sweet ol' smile you dole out so easily and I was pretty frosted.

So not cool, Lil' Lou-Lou.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

4 Sick Kids

It's 9:00 a.m. and I'm on my third cup of coffee, the kidlets don't want to take their morning nap, and John has AC at Urgent Care. The Urgent Care part sounds more dramatic than it really is; the copay is only $25 and it's faster and cheaper than dealing with the weekend exchange at her pediatrician's office (no offense, Liz, if you're reading this). We so heart Urgent Care.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Just Driving And Talking With AC

I always wonder if AC actually listens to the important things I say and, if she does, what does it mean to her? I try to be clear, but who really knows how a 4-year-old interprets my words?

AC constantly talks and asks questions. Sometimes it's frustrating because you know she's doing it just to hear her head rattle, but mostly it makes my little world more interesting. Today, during our 40 minute drive to an utterly useless triplet resale sponsored by our local group, the conversation turned to what she was going to teach the crumbgobblers as she and they get older.

For example:
AC: "How old will the babies be when I'm 6?"
Me: "3"
AC: "What am I going to teach them when they're 3 and I'm 6?"
Me: "You'll teach them how to read, their numbers and how to count, how to ride a bike, how to use scissors..."
AC: "Okay, how old will the babies be when I'm 8?"

This continued on and on until she reached age 10, where she declared she would be old enough to walk to school by herself (everyone in our district walks if you live within one mile). I'm still trying to figure out how she segued into walking to school, but she's four and that means she doesn't need one.

Me: "No, you won't. You'll never walk to school by yourself."
AC: "What?? Why??!! Who will walk to school with me??"
Me: "You'll have your siblings. You will always walk to school together and take care of each other. That's what brothers and sisters do. They watch out for and take care of each other."

Silence.

More silence. I'm thinking she's annoyed,but...

AC: "Well, then. You'll have to pack some Band-Aids in my backpack because if one of the babies falls I'm going to have to take care of them and cover their cut. You'll have to put in everything I will need - a cold wash cloth, Band-Aids, something to wash their cuts with...you'll have to put it all together..."

She trailed off in her own reverie and I was happy. I should have skipped the ridiculous sale and gone to a park to play and have more 4-year-old conversations. I hope she never stops talking and asking questions.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Sorry

I haven't posted in a couple days because I'm a total idiot. I had one, all pretty and wonderfully written and somehow I managed to delete it. It hacked me off, especially since I know I can't possibly replicate it.

Monday, September 22, 2008

When Does The Grossness End??

We desperately love IV, but he is an infamous spitter-upper. Everyone has a story about how IV spit-up all over them and we're not talking about a teaspoon of stuff you delicately dab off his sweet little chin.

While his condition has steadily improved over the past 2 months, he still can indiscriminately, and without warning, blow chowder on you. These are maxi erps of spew which make a big "splat" sound when they hit our hardwood floors creating a puddle the size of a beach ball. When it hits you, say goodbye to that beautifully ironed shirt or blouse because you will need a change of clothes. There have been many occasions when our fearless helpers have left this house looking like they just finished playing paint ball. That's not what they signed up for!

The funny thing about his condition is that it doesn't bother IV in the least. It's like passing gas for him. He literally has no reaction when he does this. In fact, sometimes we find him sitting on the floor just after he has dropped off his lunch and what do we see? He (or sometime MG or EL) is just sitting there swirling the spew around with his hand like it is finger paint. They especially like to kick their legs back and forth in it and then crawl away, leaving a snail slime trail. The point is, for IV, it is a ho hum event. For us, it is "oh MAN! not again! where's a burp cloth?!?". Poor IV, his reputation is already set and we will never let him live this down.

11 Months!!

We're almost 1!!!

Saturday, September 20, 2008

A Glimpse

6:40 - The trips are in babyjail, J gets his dinner (I just finished eating w/AC).
6:41 - I am in babyjail w/all 4 kidlets.
6:42 - MG starts to seriously flip out b/c IV is smashing her fingers in the cd player. Don't ask why it's on the floor and therefore accessible.
6:43 - Still consoling MG, have to call for J b/c IV is now playing w/a lamp cord.
6:43 - EL is fortunately oblivious to the chaos.
6:43 1/4 - IV pukes near the lamp we just removed him from.
6:43 1/2 - AC is starting to get annoyed MG is still being consoled and tells me "I think she wants to get down and crawl around". Right.
6:44 - Start the final diaper change (although never guaranteed to be final).
6:45 - IV is taken away from the fireplace.
6:46 - MG is taken away from the fireplace.
6:47 - AC attempts to build a barricade around something she doesn't want the trips to get. It is promptly taken down because she used OUR barricade for the stairs. Get your own, kid.
6:47 1/2 - Poor AC has to take her precious items and go to a baby-free zone to play. On the way she sweetly brings me the trips' bottles because I'm in babyjail.
6:50 - J and I attempt to wrestle the three bears into their jams
6:51 - EL comes to life and gives J all sorts of attitude.
6:52 - J has to stop dressing EL because IV is climbing over one of the barricades in an attempt to attain freedom and to pull a lamp on top of himself.
6:53 - EL is crawling around w/the legs of her jams trailing behind her.
6:53 - I'm giving MG her bottle
6:53 1/4 - I'm also giving EL her bottle and, in spite of my efforts, MG is kicking her in the head.
6:54 - IV is in hysterics because he does NOT want to put on jams and J has to employ the Figure 8 wrestling move to hold him down.
6:54 -Still giving the girls their respective bottles, but MG is bugging the tar out of EL, who finally gives up and decides to play with toys.
6:56 - IV's jams are on and he's getting his bottle, but if he could give J the finger...he would.
6:58 - A bright moment. MG shockingly gets jams on w/out a peep. J finished getting EL's jams on and gives her the rest of her bottle.
6:59 - I take MG to bed.
7:00 - J and I take EL and IV to bed.

7:01-8:00 - We spend quality time w/AC, who has been pretty patient for the last 20 minutes.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat tomorrow night.