Cleaning With Love

It’s like pulling teeth to get him to pick up his toys or the scraps of paper he left (he loves drawing pictures then cutting them out) or the popcorn that is scattered all over the floor from his snack, but for no apparent reason today, Garrett decided to clean my room. Not his room, but mine. He even closed the door so he could surprise me. He picked everything up off the floor (and put it all on the dresser or in the bathroom and closed that door), lined up all the miscellaneous shoes he could find and even made my bed (Garrett style)! He removed the comforter FROM the bed and pulled out some blankets from the linen closet and spread them out. I’m not sure why he chose the Mexican blanket, but he liked it…then he arranged all the pillows to make it “comfy” and “pretty” for me. He really put his heart into it. I was sure he was going to ask for something….some kind of “reward” that he knew I would have otherwise said no to. But I was wrong. All he asked was if he could get a happy face (our “rewards” system) and he excitedly ran to the kitchen, dragged the chair across the room, picked out his favorite color crayon and added another happy face to his chart…and to his mom. Thank you, Garrett!

The Faces of Chase

To say that Chase is expressive is an understatement. As long as his belly is full and his teeth aren’t giving him too much trouble, he provides a constant source of entertainment with his many, many different mannerisms, expressions and smiles. I can always count on him to be my smiley guy. Here are just some of the faces that Chase makes…all taken within a matter of minutes! Hopefully this brings a smile to your face…

Garrett: 6 Weeks Post Surgery

So far, so good. It's hard to believe that it's already been six weeks since Garrett's surgery, but today you'd never know it. He has made a full recovery and is back to his normal, playful self. I'm relieved to not have to be limiting his activities anymore (any idea how frustrating it must be for a four year old- and his mom- to be told not to jump, run or exert himself too much?), except for the long term things that we've been advised against like rough, contact play, riding motorcycles and horses and anything else that could logically result in damage to his good kidney. Good thing it's almost summer and time for swimming- his favorite sport!

Garrett's first post-surgery ultrasound did not show any evidence of hydronephrosis (definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydronephrosis) which would indicate an obstruction either from scarring from surgery or the "kink" of concern that could interfere with drainage from the kidney. The next step is the VCUG (refer to the link under "Have You Seen This?" for a definition), which will be without sedation this time and we expect to be quite unpleasant but very necessary. This study will take place in late May and we hope to learn if the surgery was successful in correcting his reflux at this time. Until then, Garrett remains on prophylactic antibiotics to prevent UTI's and any further damage to his kidney.

Thanks again for the positive thoughts and well wishes. As always, we will keep you posted.

The Logic of a Mom

I’ve been writing some of the funny things the kids say in my “The Logic of a Child” column (which is just a small sample of all the interesting things that come out of their mouths), but here are a few things I’ve caught MYSELF saying lately that actually made me pause and giggle:

~ “Please don’t put your underwear on your sister’s head”
~ “Did someone pee on the dog?”
~ “Do you want moose poop or broccoli cookies?” (it’s actually Moose Tracks ice cream and Girl Scout- which they know as “Brownies”- cookies and the kids came up with the names so I went with it…anything to try to dissuade them from wanting sweets…but it NEVER works!)
~ “Can you please stop burying the dog’s bones?”
~ “Let’s not put Legos in the cereal, please” (this was my response to Garrett’s announcement that he made “Lego cereal”; fortunately he didn’t eat any…that I know of)
~ “If you don’t go to sleep now, then I’m going to wake you up extra early in the morning!” (after thinking about this I’ve realized that this threat probably only scares adults)
~ “Please don’t put his foot in your mouth”

And somehow this all makes sense to me…

Lights, Camera...Wait! Where Are You Going?

It seemed like a reasonable idea at the time and I was expecting it to be a little hectic, but tying to take pictures with all FOUR kids TOGETHER was an even bigger undertaking than I anticipated (I'm pretty sure this is where the expression "corralling cats" comes from)! The babies were teething and overtired (despite our best efforts all day long to get them to take a decent nap). The boys were much more interested in playing and exploring in the park rather than sitting still and looking handsome (how do you compete with a train, a tractor and a creek?). Ella was in a funk (see the video clip below) and Chase was totally and completely fascinated and mesmerized by the grass... and not the camera. And HE was actually the most cooperative of all the kids (or as cooperative as you can get when all you can do is lay there…or sit for a short while before tipping over). By the end of the session the boys were filthy, the babies were even more tired and irritable, all the kids were starving (even the bribery tactics with treats didn’t work to get them to sit still for pictures!) and we STILL didn’t get a picture of all the kids together (that I know of).

Ironically enough, the boys had the time of their lives at the park (something they don’t get a chance to do as often these days) which will make this occasion especially memorable for them. This is what made me realize that when there are memories attached to the photos, it makes them all the more meaningful. Having said that, we’re probably going to have to try again for a picture of all of them together but next time the kids won’t outnumber the adults and we’ll try for earlier in the day. And hopefully instead of being in their own little worlds they will all be present in this one…at least long enough to take a few pictures... I'll be sure to post them (the pictures not the children) when they're done.

Until then, here is a clip of Ella being feisty and delirious. And this is BEFORE we started taking pictures!

We may have gotten some decent pictures (I haven’t seen them yet), but here are a couple of Chase and Ella “standing by”. This experience has given me a whole new appreciation for strollers...

Fight or Flight

I know I’ve made several comments about how drastically different the twins are from one another, but the same can be said about Blake and Garrett in some ways. Blake loves office supplies (and other “non-toy” playthings) and Garrett could open his own toy store. Blake enjoys fruits and veggies and most healthy food (and even declines dessert from time to time because he wants to grow “big and strong”) while Garrett avoids healthy food at all cost, even if he has to skip meals (but you can bribe- I mean reward- him with toys, hence the “toy store”). Blake is quiet and independent; Garrett makes enough noise for the both of them. You get the picture.

So the other day they were outside playing and I hear Garrett let out a girlish squeal and come running. I quickly glanced out the window and everything appeared to be okay (no kids lying on the ground, nothing broken). Garrett came barrelling inside while quickly slamming the door behind him, yelling that he saw a spider. To his credit, he did say it was a "HUGE" spider. But a spider none the less. The boys’ reactions are a perfect example of their differences.

Garrett immediately climbed on top of the picnic table where he spent the next ten minutes curled up with a look of terror on his face for fear the spider would somehow find him and “get him”.

Meanwhile, Blake was busy pulling a branch off the tree so he could poke around looking for the spider. He decided to embark on a spider hunt. I’m not really sure what his plan was if he caught it, but thankfully that wasn’t the case (this time).

I guess I should be relieved that at least one of my boys is NOT fascinated by creepy-crawly things. And the longer it takes Blake to realize this, the luckier Garrett is because once he does, I’m sure there will be endless hours of teasing and torture to endure. After all, isn’t that what brothers are for?

Tasting My Own Medicine

No sooner had I taken away all the boys’ modern and convenient toys to teach them a lesson about following and reinforcing rules did the Gadget Gods express their disapproval…my own computer crashed. Completely. I might have seen a “ha ha ha ha” quickly flash before it went dead, but otherwise there’s nothing. Just a black screen. The irony of this is not lost on me but I can’t say I see much humor in it. Thankfully I do have my own IT department, but they (okay, he) is booked until after April 15th (something about tax season and his actual paying job…).

My first reaction is panic because I rely on my computer not just to blog (contrary to what some people think) but to stay organized. I keep my calendar on it with doctor’s appointments, reminders about school activities, and my daily list of things to do…planned out three weeks in advance. I rely on e-mail to stay in touch (have you ever tried having a conversation on the phone with four kids wanting your attention AT ONCE?) and for quick news updates to make sure the world around me is still intact. Blogging also helps me keep it all in perspective. And it’s a laptop, so I can carry it from room to room with me and have instant information at my fingertips. We obviously do have a functional computer (or I wouldn’t be blogging), but it is tucked away in the office and it’s a desk top and not always accessible. You might think I would prefer this, but refer to my previous post “Monkey See Monkey Do” to further explain why this is problematic- another cruel irony.

Without the computer, I find myself wandering aimlessly around the house a little uneasy by how anxious I feel (maybe I do spend too much time on the computer???) and missing it even more at the same time (wasn’t there something important I needed to remember about tomorrow…oh yeah, it’s a minimum day at school…THAT is something I can’t afford to forget!). For now I am left to ponder whether my increased efficiency with the computer is worth my dependency upon it and will have to get resourceful “old school” style to keep myself organized. Now if I could just find a pen that’s not a marker…

As a side note, my blogging may slow a bit during this time of technological restructuring but I assure you I will keep notes and have plenty of blogging to come.

Toys: Privilege or Punishment?

It started with Legos and Transformers. Then lightsabers and Nerf guns. Then video games, tv time and computer time. If I ever wondered what would happen if I confiscated all the boys’ (valued) toys, now I know. And if you’re wondering WHY…let’s just say that Daylight Savings time is wrecking havoc on our bedtime routine (refer to my prior post).

Here’s what happened today (without toys)…I found that the boys played outside for a while and then did puzzles together! Who knew the boys could play so collaboratively, cooperatively and creatively together when there aren’t toys to fight over? But THEN they started missing their Star Wars toys… so they made their own! I agreed it was a great idea and fun activity. I could see the excitement mounting as the ideas started building in their minds. The next thing I knew they’re moving chairs to rummage through the cabinets for material to use for recreating various Star Wars scenes. There were coffee filters, tin foil and lots of painter’s tape. Not to mention pens and paper. Since the boys were occupying themselves constructively and without incident, I went about my work and checked in every so often. Garrett made an R2D2 and C3PO and Blake made a “scene” of asteroids flying through space. Even better, I thought, that they were also incorporating some science.

Although this play consumed most of the afternoon, they inevitably lost excitement for it and moved on to something else…and THEN I saw the mess they made in the kitchen… Paper EVERYWHERE (the confetti byproduct of asteroid explosions), foil “asteroid” balls strewn about and spaceship carnage left for oblivion…and then there are the pieces of tape sticking much of it to the floor. I should have known…it was much too quiet and the boys were much too content for much too long. I can’t exactly complain, however, since I was the one who took all their toys away.

So what did I learn? That when left to their own devices kids are ingenious, creative and resourceful (NOT something I want to discourage). Their reward for cleaning up this mess was to earn their toys back…at least the big ones that are easy to pick up. This way, everyone wins…and next time I have to confiscate toys I will start with the less tangible ones (like tv and computer time).

My Plea

Dear Mother Earth and Father Time,

I am writing to make a request. While I respect the idea of Daylight Savings Time and appreciate the “opportunity” to be “more productive”, I kindly ask that you PLEASE reconsider implementing this “holiday”. I am sure there are a few select individuals who will take advantage of this extra time of saved daylight, but most of us (at least those of us with kids) need ALL the time we can get and this change makes our days much, much longer (and not in a good way).

Not only is it a nuisance to change a schedule we work hard (and sometimes have to fight hard) to achieve daily, but it is COUNTER-productive. In addition to losing a perfectly good hour of sleep, our once-afternoon activities (for example team practices) are inevitably pushed back until later with the idea that we somehow have this time in the evening to spare (which we don't). In addition, we teach our children that we sleep during night and play during the day (and finally have their bodies acclimated to this from the winter holidays) and then arbitrarily put them to bed in daylight and wake them up in darkness…and expect them to GO TO SLEEP and WAKE UP AND BE PRODUCTIVE? My children, for instance, are more than happy to entertain themselves after bedtime because there is nothing preventing them from playing (specifically LIGHT). Consequently, a pointless battle ensues because really, how does one make one sleep if one doesn’t want to? Therein lies the problem. One doesn’t. Then parent "one" has a VERY tired little "one" the next morning, which is especially problematic when there is school to attend, learning to do, a job to go to or ANY activity really that does not involve sleeping. Remember, those of us with multiple children already struggle to maintain a daily schedule (and are already tired).

My point is that tired and whiny children (and sometimes parents) are NOT going to be more productive. If the intention of “saving” daylight is for prolonged opportunities to be more active or productive, I, for one, will gladly give mine back for a little more sleep and a lot more sanity. I may not be more productive, but I can assure you I won’t be less productive.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Sincerely,
A tired mother of four who sees no value in losing more sleep and giving her children yet another reason to not want to go to bed, be late for school, etc. etc.

P.S. If you find this request completely unreasonable, it would be much appreciated if you could you at least please talk to the Easter Bunny and see about coordinating the timing of this change to take place over Spring Break when the kids are off their schedules and fueled by sugar anyway?

Chase's New 'Do

The feedback I received on my blog question about cutting Chase’s hair was across the board, but definitely weighing heavier on the “cut it” side. It’s a good thing too, since people were starting to nickname him “Crusty” (you know, the clown from the Simpsons). So…yesterday Chase got his first haircut! He was a very good sport about it (and of course we saved the locks for the scrapbook I’ll probably never get around to putting together) and he now looks a little more “together” than he did before (and a little older, but not as much as I feared). Thanks to those of you who shared your opinions, sorry my “comments” section wasn’t working at the time for those of you who tried, but unless I hear otherwise I believe that’s been corrected. Here is a picture of my little man in his more even ‘do. He appears to be quite triumphant... maybe his vote was to "cut it" too...

Fun With "Chella"

There is no doubt that one of the best parts about having a baby (or babies in my case) is watching their personalities emerge. There has been no shortage of that with Chase and Ella (or, “Chella”). As they approach seven months old they are becoming more fun (and more work) than ever. Here are just a few of the fun moments I captured today alone!

If you’re happy and you know it…twirl your feet!? This is Ella’s version of her “Happy Dance”. While she is normally reserved in her expressions, she has taken to twirling her feet and opening and closing her hands when she’s excited. Usually with a gaping smile and cute a little wiggle.

It’s not just his hair that makes Chase look a little odd these days…it’s also his teeth! While his two bottom teeth are well pronounced, it seems logical that his top teeth would follow…which they did, but NOT the central teeth (but the incisor teeth). Yes, my little man now looks like a little VAMPIRE complete with “fangs”. It suits him well, I guess, since he attempts to bite most things (courtesy of teething). Just watch your fingers.

Despite being twins, Chase and Ella don’t pay a whole lot of attention to each other (unless it’s feeding time and only one is being fed…). Here are the babies in the crib together and what I thought was a very sweet moment between them… but I’m still not sure if Chase being affectionate with his sister and trying to pet her…or if he’s trying to pull Ella’s hair…).

Garrett also got in on the fun and decided to give the babies an impromptu puppet show.

Monkey See Monkey Do

If I ever thought that kids don’t mimic the behavior that I model, I was dead wrong. But why does it have to be the things that I don't want them to do? I always say “please” and “thank you” and never call anyone mean names…but I do spend more time at the computer since I started blogging and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. It’s not like I’m wasting time surfing the net or playing games…I’m catching up on news and taking a moment to collect my thoughts (which, incidentally, is the ONLY time I actually get to sit down during the day). Now, the minute I turn on my computer I instantly have little monkeys tugging on my arms, begging me to play on the computer (we let them play on a few supervised websites). At first I encouraged this, thinking that building computer skills early on would benefit them, but now they want the computer every time I’m not it! They even have their own computer (but it’s so archaic that they end up crashing it by incessantly clicking on the mouse…kind of like when we all had dial-up). ALL I want is to check in on the big world around my little one from time to time and use a vocabulary beyond a kindergartner. ALL I want is my computer back! PLEASE.

3/3 Addendum: I wrote this a while back and am just now getting around to posting it. Since writing it, the boys have lost interest in my computer (which suddenly and mysteriously stopped working at their websites…wonder how that happened???) and now they’ve taken over Brian’s computer. The problem now is that they will play on it for hours if we let them. It’s amazing how adept they have already become with computers, but I think we’ll have to put a stop to this in the very near future…before they create a Myspace page!

T is for Tigers!

And T-ball. It’s that time of year again. Blake has now begun his second season of t-ball and this year he’s a Tiger. Despite having a mostly first-year team, they play surprisingly well. There was even an out or two! Most of the kids ran in the right direction (when they remembered to run), paid attention to the game (rather than digging in the dirt or picking flowers) and even managed to stop the ball one at a time (instead of dog-piling…most of the time). Blake has rediscovered his love for baseball and asks me EVERYDAY if “today is t-ball?” I enjoy it too…when I’m not chasing after Garrett, trying to feed babies or lugging around 100lbs of equipment (yes, that’s me pushing a double stroller across the field loaded down with a diaper bag, food & water, toys, blankets, camera, and so on, while carrying chairs and sometimes a baseball bag). But I’m not complaining…except when they tell me they have to use the bathroom because that’s on the OTHER side of the field (and locked more often than not). The boys don’t mind, though; my little savages really enjoy “going” in the bushes. Maybe too much…but that’s another story.