So not cool, Lil' Lou-Lou.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
There is Daylight...
Life is getting somewhat easier now that the crumbgobblers are approaching 1 year (although it still seems like it's been longer than that). The horribleness of the first 4 months and slightly less horribleness of the 5-7th months are still very real and I hope they'll fade away. I doubt it. They're branded on my brain. It was like I was a character in an awful horror story with no end in sight.
I was thinking about how psychotically tired I was those first few months and remembered a funny story that would help describe it: I was in church and it was a communion Sunday. I usually pray before I take the bread and the "wine" (grape juice for us and oh, how I wish we'd get a juice box or something - that teeny little cup just isn't enough). Well, I was so tired that when I closed my eyes to pray before I took the juice, I fell asleep. I was actually dreaming when, all of a sudden I felt this wet stuff running down my leg (No, I didn't urinate. That's gross.). The cup had spilled all down my leg, all over the pew, and onto the floor, startling me awake. I'm pretty sure "oh, s---" (again, with the cursing problem) popped out of my mouth, IN CHURCH, and I totally jumped. Then, of course, I started that silent shoulder laugh/shake that cannot be gotten rid of. Fortunately a friend was nearby and had tissues, so there I was, bending way over, cleaning up my legs and the floor which would now be assuredly sticky for the next service.
Oh well. Again, it's much better now.
I was thinking about how psychotically tired I was those first few months and remembered a funny story that would help describe it: I was in church and it was a communion Sunday. I usually pray before I take the bread and the "wine" (grape juice for us and oh, how I wish we'd get a juice box or something - that teeny little cup just isn't enough). Well, I was so tired that when I closed my eyes to pray before I took the juice, I fell asleep. I was actually dreaming when, all of a sudden I felt this wet stuff running down my leg (No, I didn't urinate. That's gross.). The cup had spilled all down my leg, all over the pew, and onto the floor, startling me awake. I'm pretty sure "oh, s---" (again, with the cursing problem) popped out of my mouth, IN CHURCH, and I totally jumped. Then, of course, I started that silent shoulder laugh/shake that cannot be gotten rid of. Fortunately a friend was nearby and had tissues, so there I was, bending way over, cleaning up my legs and the floor which would now be assuredly sticky for the next service.
Oh well. Again, it's much better now.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Buddy, We're So Sorry
IV had developed a hint of a mullet so J took the clippers to him yesterday and this is the result. I'm a little sad for him and am thankful he isn't old enough to be embarrassed.
We're not quite sure what to do, but we did learn that clippers will not be used again on IV's melon.
We're not quite sure what to do, but we did learn that clippers will not be used again on IV's melon.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Super Sleuth
So I was looking at MG's arm tonight because I had noticed a red mark on it. After a second glance, it dawned on me it was a bite mark. What?? The crumbgobblers are biting each other?!?!? WHAT!?!? This totally wierds me out - it's like they're animals or something. Are they cannibals?? Are they going to get kicked out of the nursery at church or preschool because they're eating other children? ugh.
Of course I got too fired up about it and spent too much time figuring out who chomped on MG. I initially blamed IV because he thinks it's HILARIOUS to tackle his sisters, pull their hair, and slobber all over their heads (so gross). He needs a brother and I can't believe that thought dared enter my head.
Anyway, here's the lousy pic of the bite:
And here's the original suspect - notice the shiner on his left cheek from a tumble down the stairs. Very nice.
Anyway, IV was reprieved because the biter had to have: three teeth up top with two on the bottom. I briefly went CSI and considered various positions MG's arm could have been in when the bite was delivered, but the set of two marks are from small teeth (bottom set) and two of the three marks are from big teeth (the top ones). IV only has two teeth upstairs and three down leaving only...
EL???!! My sweet EL?? She seems so incapable of such an act. I know she feels terrible.
Of course I got too fired up about it and spent too much time figuring out who chomped on MG. I initially blamed IV because he thinks it's HILARIOUS to tackle his sisters, pull their hair, and slobber all over their heads (so gross). He needs a brother and I can't believe that thought dared enter my head.
Anyway, here's the lousy pic of the bite:
And here's the original suspect - notice the shiner on his left cheek from a tumble down the stairs. Very nice.
Anyway, IV was reprieved because the biter had to have: three teeth up top with two on the bottom. I briefly went CSI and considered various positions MG's arm could have been in when the bite was delivered, but the set of two marks are from small teeth (bottom set) and two of the three marks are from big teeth (the top ones). IV only has two teeth upstairs and three down leaving only...
EL???!! My sweet EL?? She seems so incapable of such an act. I know she feels terrible.
Friday, September 12, 2008
A Visit From SuperBabysitter
AC's favoritist babysitter was in town from school a couple weekends ago and came over, of course. I thought I'd add a couple pics of M because, well, we miss her terribly and she deserves some press. We love you Ma-Ma!!
Had to include this one as an example of how awesome SuperBabysitter is; she let AC come over in her princess gown during prom pics. AC had been crazy fascinated that SuperBabysitter was going to a "ball" and just about died when she was invited over.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Hooray!!!
...for Bookclub!! My first one in a loonnnggg time is tonight and I am so fired up. Real conversation with friends about something other than kids is...is...treasured. Oh how I love the wee ones, but sometimes I need to remind myself that my brain is capable of other things besides singing nursery rhymes and keeping my little corner of the universe from falling apart.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
So Freaking Annoying!!!!
I can't figure out how to put pics on the posts and make everything look pretty! I mean, look at the one for A's birthday party! It looks like total junk! Curses!!!!!!
Monday, September 8, 2008
Happy Birthday AC!
She turned 4 a couple days ago and sometimes I wish she was still 1. She grew up a lot this summer and it's definitely bittersweet.
Of course she had to wear her favorite dress-up outfit for the party, and even though there was all sorts of messy play she managed to keep it spotless.
We could not have pulled off the party without a LOT of help. A couple friends came over, cleaned, baked one of the two cakes, ran an errand for me, came back early to help some more, then stayed late to help clean up. They are the friends-I-can't-do-without and this small shin-dig would not have happened quite so smoothly if they hadn't stopped by. Thank you, Fooz and Aunt Joan!
We love you, sweet girl!!!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Crumbgobblers
I've been asked what a crumbgobbler is so here goes:
crumbgobbler - (n) a wee one who is still crawling. They tend to pick up everything on the floor (especially crumbs) and eat (gobble) it up.
crumbgobbler - (n) a wee one who is still crawling. They tend to pick up everything on the floor (especially crumbs) and eat (gobble) it up.
First Day of School
Okay, it's preschool but it still means AC is growing up and I'm pretty sure I don't like it. There was the classic happy/sad moment because while it was so great she ran into the room w/out a glance back, it was not so great she ran into the room w/out a glance back. I personally don't think it's educationally necessary for a 3-year-old to attend preschool (seriously - they have too many years of schooling ahead of them) but know she needs the social time. She also needs to be away from the crumbgobblers because they've been driving her completely insane lately. I don't blame her.
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