A Long Time Ago, In A Galaxy Far, Far Away

There is a battle of good and evil being waged in the Wilcox house. Not the spiritual kind (thankfully) but the Star Wars kind. At any given time you can hear the humming and clicking of lightsabers as the boys battle to defend themselves from doom. One look around the house and you’ll quickly notice that most of the beds are missing their blankets which, incidentally, make ideal Star Wars garb (see Garrett wearing his “hooded robe”). If some story from Star Wars is not being acted out in person, then it’s being played out with Legos, Transformers or drawn out in pictures (if only they were that enthusiastic when it came to picking up toys and doing chores). I guess you could say it’s an obsession. And a right of passage for little boys, according to my husband (and apparently BIG boys too). On weekends it’s not uncommon for Brian to throw a Star Wars Party when we’ll watch one of the movies and play with his vintage Star War toys from when he was a boy (okay, I’ll admit that is pretty cool). Garrett has even been wearing Brian’s ORIGINAL Star Wars shirt from the 70’s! I get to partake from time to time, too. Sometimes they call me Princess Leia, which is fine by me (what little girl didn’t wear the side-buns so they could be just like her?) and sometimes they call me the Evil Ventress. Either way, I’m not complaining…at least they don’t call me Jabba the Hutt!

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall...

It is true that she is named after a princess (CinderELLA, thanks to Garrett). I even call her my “little princess”, but this is meant to be a term of endearment, not to be taken literally. In fact, I always thought that if I ever had a daughter I would make a conscious effort to focus more on brains and brawn than beauty. I figured that if I could somehow manage to mold her self esteem with an emphasis on her abilities rather than her appearance then it might save her (and us as parents) some angst in her teenage years (and probably a lot of money on designer clothes). Wishful thinking, I’m sure. But Ella seems to have another idea. Since she was old enough to focus her eyes, her favorite thing to look at was…herself! You could tell because she would give those long, gaping smiles while wiggling with excitement. Even from a screaming cry, one glimpse of herself and she immediately quiets down and flashes her best picture perfect grin (I bet if she had hair she’d also be throwing it over her shoulder). It’s always been cute, but now I’m worried she’s getting carried away. You see, the closet doors in her room are mirrored and the changing table is within view. At first I just thought she was getting squirmy on the changing table, but I finally realized that it’s because she’s trying to see herself in the mirror! Should I be worried? Is vanity to girls what potty humor is to boys (I’m new at this “girl” thing)? Is it possible that she is mesmerized by mirrors because they seem “magical” (since she can see reflection)? After all, I know they are an important part of cognitive development. Okay, I’ll admit, I’m not actually discouraging this behavior either….There have been times when I shamelessly hold her in front of the mirror and make my best efforts to get her to smile to indulge my parental whims. But, look at that precious face, who wouldn’t you do the same? I guess I’ll just plan on dealing with the repercussions later.

A Little Perspective And The Right Attitude

In the short 5 1/2 months that I have been a parent to twins (and four kids), I've learned a lot. And a lot about myself. Here are a few of the valuable lessons I've learned (so far).

1. I can multi-task like never before. Who knew it was possible to feed two babies simultaneously while cooking dinner and taking a phone call?

2. I learned that you can love a baby too much (when you're four years old). Thankfully the babies are tolerant and resilient... and won't remember their brother's displays of "affection" (or, "attention-seeking behavior").

3. I have learned to be both more patient and less tolerant. At the same time.

4. I've learned to pick my battles. Every day is an exercise in letting go of a lot of the little things in exchange for more sanity, and laughing at situations when I may otherwise to want to scream. This is a HUGE accomplishment for a self-professed Type A-Perfectionist-Control Freak. And now you don't have to ask when you see my child come to school with his clothes on inside out or backwards... at least he's dressed!

5. Most of all, I've learned to enjoy it all. Sure, it's exhausting (and chaotic), but it won't be long before the babies would rather explore than be held and will begin to talk (and talk back). So I'll happily take the 2 am feedings and being spit-up on with those sweet, innocent baby smiles and precious little fingers wrapped around mine.

A lot of people make the comment "I don't know how you do it". Some days I'm not sure I know either, except that a little perspective and the right attitude go a long, long way. That, and A LOT of caffeine.

The Good Ol' Days

I have a theory, but I'll get to that in a minute. One of Brian's most cherished childhood memories is going fishing with his dad. He remembers with tremendous fondness eating sweet, sticky donuts with his dad while taking in the crisp morning air. He would watch in awe as his dad would make the perfect cast and they spent the day waiting and hoping to catch the "big one" (or any "one" really). Life just seemed...simple. In an earnest effort to recreate this memory with his sons, Brian planned a day of fishing and was looking forward to it with boyish anticipation. But it was anything but simple. We were up most of the night before with Blake vomiting and Garrett's asthma. Brian tried to call off the fishing trip in the morning but was met with GREAT protest (to put it mildly). So, off they went (with medicine and an extra bucket, just in case). What Brian didn't expect was to spend most of the day untangling fishing lines and disciplining the boys who were running around on a donut-induced sugar high. Not exactly peaceful and relaxing. His experience begs the question, "was it really that much simpler 30 years ago?" True, there were no cell phones, no computers, and, yes, no blogging. My theory, however, is this: the reason the "ol' days" are "good" is because we were kids. No grown-up worries, responsibilities and expectations. Just fun, that was our job. The difference this time was that Brian was the grown up, not the kid. So, while Brian might not consider this fishing excursion a success, I am positive that the boys will look back on this experience with the same fondness that Brian had when he was a child. It's not about catching fish or getting donuts, it's about enjoying the "good" of the "day" and sharing it with someone you love. And, no, they didn't catch the "big one", or any "one".

Two Milestones in Two Days

Chase is taking this baby thing seriously. No sooner did we discover that he cut his first tooth than I laid him down to rest and he rolled right over! I gently rolled him back onto his back (they say babies are not supposed to sleep on their tummies) and he immediately rolled right back onto his tummy again. I rolled him back and he rolled again. Marvelling at his determination, I finally resisted the temptation to roll him back, but it was hard. In all honesty, the real reason I kept rolling him back was that every step closer the twins get to mobility is a step closer that I get to a whole new world of challenges... "freedom" translates into arched backs in protest when being put in seats, constant vigilance of their activities and keeping all chocking hazards out of reach (who in the world thought it was a good idea to make Legos so small?). Chase is certainly showing us he's motivated (I'm pretty sure his tooth was a result of our conversation about introducing solids). Wish me luck! In the mean time, Ella, true to her calm and easy disposition, is patiently awaiting the arrival of her first tooth with little complaining and continues to give us her happy girl smiles. She has no plans of rolling over too soon, as she has promised to be the "easy" baby... at least until she's a teenager...

2/1 Update: Ella has finally cut her first tooth. Still no rolling over yet, she much prefers to stand!

Potty Humor Already?

How does he know? He's only 5 months old and yet Chase gives a huge belly laugh at any bodily noise or mention of potty words by his older brothers Blake and Garrett. We're talking a hearty laugh and a squeal, the kind us grown-ups work extra hard in hopes of achieving. We make ridiculous faces, make silly noises and basically make complete fools of ourselves. But one burp or mention of the word "poop" and Chase gives his giant smile accompanied by his infectious laugh. I don't get it. Neither does Ella, Chase's 5 month old twin sister. I'm pretty sure I saw her shake her head and I feel confident that if she could have rolled her eyes she would have. Of course any attempt to scold the older boys is quickly negated by the instant satisfaction they get from making their baby brother laugh. What can I do? I guess I'll chalk this one up to male bonding...

Blog With Me

Today is the day. Since I don't have time to scrapbook, keep a journal or sometimes even complete a sentence, I thought I would give blogging a try. There are so many thoughts, words and moments in a day that are quickly forgotten and I'm hoping to record at least some of them on this blog. I hope you enjoy sharing them with me!