Chaos in Motion

Yep, that's us. It's tax season, back to school, soccer season, starting preschool, Cub Scouts season, potty training (round 2), Poway Days celebrations, monthly group meetings, half marathon training, so on and so forth. Life in our house is anything but boring. Unless the power goes out in the ENTIRE SAN DIEGO COUNTY...then life comes to a screeching halt and we are left scrambling for simple things like batteries and light.

When we are running full steam, however, here are some of the things we've been up to.

BACK TO SCHOOL
This year Blake is in third grade and Garrett is in second. So far it's been a bit of a learning curve for all of us, as this marks the very first time Garrett hasn't followed in Blake's footsteps for teachers. Third grade has been a new experience with A HUGE jump in responsibility placed on the student and much higher expectations for his quality of work. Gone are the days of happy faces and stars...now it's all about the numbers. And, for me, it's all about learning to find peace with giving up control and having faith in my child. Ironic how watching my kids go through school reminds me about how much more I have to learn.

My sweet Blake is still willing to give me a "first day of school" smile.

Garrett seems to be adjusting better to second grade than years past. He's taking his work seriously...and taking his fun seriously too...a little too much for his own good. Garrett loves to be the life of the party and will do just about anything to be the funny guy...which often means not thinking things through before he does them. Let's just say he's earned himself a few conversations with adults and benched recesses to remind him about appropriate behavior at school. I shudder to think what college will do to him...Yes, I know, have faith in him!

Garrett, on the other hand, was thoroughly embarrassed of me taking pictures and wouldn't even look up.

KICKIN' BACK
Soccer season is in full swing. This is Garrett's first regular season and Blake's second. Garrett had begged for me to sign him up following the off-season, but once the regular season rolled around he begged me not to make him go. Another opportunity for a lesson in responsibility... And of course now he's loving it! He easily towers over the other first and second graders and isn't afraid to go after the ball. The combination gives him a big advantage. He's not the fastest or most coordinated kid out there, but he plays with all heart and is seeing success because of it. And he makes a pretty good goalie. Hopefully next week I'll remember to take pictures...

Since Blake's birthday is a little later, he's playing with several older kids. This is good for skills building and as long as he's having fun- which he is- it's all good. He still likes to give the ball a big boot when he can and plays the all-important role of "assisting" (he's usually quick to pass the ball). It's not his nature to be aggressive, and that's just fine with me. (One of the perks of being Team Parent is that OTHER people are taking pictures of your child while you are not).

Up next? Blake wants to "take a break from sports" (insert sigh of relief of less shuttling/toddlers napping at 6pm/rush to finish homework and eat dinner by 5pm/playground supervision/stuck at a school with locked bathrooms and toddlers who are potty training). Garrett, on the other hand, is anxious to try out basketball...so we won't be wasting any time with him between sports. I'll keep you posted on this adventure!

FIRST DAY OF PRESCHOOL
It's the milestone I've been waiting for...the twins' entry into preschool! I knew they would absolutely love it, and they have. Of course, this also required a greater emphasis on potty training, which, with four kids, can be challenging to say the least. Ella is pretty sufficient, but Chase still needs some work. Now that he's been seeing some success with it, though, he's finding more interest in it. I don't think it gets "easier" until they are totally training AND CAN HOLD IT. That will take a least a few more months.

The twins LOVE their teachers (who were also Blake and Garrett's teachers). They have thoroughly enjoyed exploring the classroom and playground, playing with new toys and in novel ways, and circle time with songs and books. They haven't quite embraced the opportunity to make friends, but that will come and it's interesting to note that they don't necessarily play together for most of the day.

The twins hardly looked up when I left. Yep, they were ready...they are officially "preschoolers"!

So, to answer the question I get at least once a day....YES, I am enjoying my new "kid-free" time, but the time I get is anything but free. I find myself cramming six hours of cleaning, errands, and appointments into my 2 hours of kid free time. Just as well...I'm not the kind of person to curl up with a book or spend hours at the coffee shop. It's a schedule I can work with and I no longer cringe at the thought of going to the store for just one thing.

And just in case you're wondering what they learn in preschool, here is Chase to give you a glimpse:


QUALITY TIME WITH GRANDMA
If she can't come to us, we will go to her!

We have been heading east on Friday's after school to hang out with Grandma and Grandpa and get in some good play-and-eat-to-your-heart's-content fun and relaxation. You would think that the twins would be well rested, but...

this is the aftermath of an afternoon with Grandma and Grandpa. A double treat for me- sharing kid time in the afternoon and coming home to have some quiet time.

Of course, if you want to be technical, the twins are also in the process of outgrowing naps. Some days they do just fine without a nap...and others, well, this speaks for itself!

SEA LIFE
The boys were treated with a day at San Diego's Maritime Museum and the Tall Ships Festival with Papa Jim and Nana Sharlene. Nothing like a couple of life-like pirates to keep them in line!

These are the kinds of outings the boys don't get much of these days without the twins in tow, so I am sure this was a welcomed changed of pace!

And, more the twins' speed, we spent a day with Papa and Nana at the Birch Aquarium looking at interesting sea life. This was a first for Chase & Ella and they especially enjoyed the tide pools (or at least thinking about touching some of the slimy sea stars and cucumbers). Chase has a thing for lobsters, which you are more likely to see at the grocery store than the aquarium, but he found a plastic one in the play area that he had a hard time parting with.

Until he found the shark mouth. The novelty was too much to resist and, consequently, there are several families out there who likely have a little Chase in their family picture!

Aloha, Three!

It's official...the twins are three! It's hard to believe that three years ago I didn't know the little girl who melts my heart with every unsolicited "I love you, mommy" and the little boy whose belly laugh and "cuuuute belly!" can bring an instant smile to my face.

How quickly we forget that here's a learning curve when it comes to birthday parties...there's the gift opening...

(and probably the last year that the twins will let their brothers "help" them open their presents), there's the blowing out the candles...

which doesn't seem like rocket science but we found it IMPOSSIBLE to get them both lit before one blew out their candle so that they were never lit at the same time. Let's just say they had plenty of opportunities for birthday wishes this year- another thing the haven't learned yet.

The decorations were a highlight for the twins...thanks to Renee, we celebrated with their birthday with a luau theme. Which is perfect for a little girl who LOVES to dress up. And little boy who LOVES to eat. Okay, so any theme probably would have worked, but there's no doubt that Renee's special touches made it extra special. There were the streamers (by request from the twins), Hawaiian flower decorations, festive Hawaiian music, a blow up ukelele and octopus, leis for everyone and a tropical bird pinata, which Ella seemed to enjoy hitting a little too much (we definitely have a future softball player on our hands).

Thanks, Renee!

Ella was happy to receive some new princess accessories and Tinker Bell (her favorite) themed jewelry and phone.

Hmmm, a tiara, a cell phone and lots of sparkly bling...at what age do we have undo all this and start discouraging it? Oh well, it's cute for now.

And what's a party without a wardrobe change? This is the very special "ballerina" outfit (with tap AND ballet shoes) that grandma got for our little dancer (well, hopefully some day). I think she likes it, what do you think?

The more bling the better, right?

But this one takes the cake...after watching the movie Reo (about a blue parrot and Carnival in Rio de Janeiro) Ella took it upon herself to wear the used pinata head and tail...and then SHAKE her tail again and again.

Once again...cute for now.

And Chase was in Heaven with his new dump truck and DVD of Twenty Trucks.

Seriously, if you know a little boy who LOVES trucks, I highly recommend this DVD with songs. They will learn all there is to know about construction vehicles and you'll be singing songs about excavators! Just give him plenty of space to dance 'cuz you'll get screamed at and knocked out of the way if not! Yes, he's obsessed...but it's cute for now.

Funny enough, we still haven't given them the scooters we bought, which are sitting in the garage. They had just enough gifts to keep them excited and occupied...maybe we'll just save them for Christmas (probably the last year we can get away with that, too!).

And I would be remiss not to mention the year we discovered the world's BEST ice cream cake, Peanutbutter Playground by Cold Stone. Not your traditional birthday cake, but soooo much better than cupcakes with way too much colored frosting that turns your mouth funny colors.

Thanks to the grandparents for coming together to celebrate #3. And now...as they transition out of toddlerdom, look out preschool, here they come!
Happy Birthday Chase & Ella!

Eating Asphalt

It was bound to happen sooner or later, especially in a family with three boys. And something tells me this won't be the last time. But before I explain, let me just say, "THANK GOD FOR HELMETS!". I've been counting several other blessings too, considering things could have been much worse.

Now that the boys are training-wheel free and have spent much of the summer riding up and down our street on their bikes, it was only a matter of time before someone took a spill. The unlucky one this time was Garrett. As I started the process of baths (by far Chase's favorite part of the day), I heard Blake's urgent scream at the front door..."Mom, come here! Garrett's hurt...he's in the street!". I immediately jumped up, pulled the plug on the drain and ran out the front door with my heart pounding in my chest. I could hear Chase's screams of anger about the draining water from down the street, but he wasn't the one I was worried about. And I'm glad it didn't occur to me at the time that there could have been a car involved- I just assumed Garrett had fallen off his bike, which he had. He was a few houses down, sitting up just off the curb holding his mouth with both hands...and blood was everywhere. A concerned neighbor had already rushed over to help him. Fortunately, he was wearing his helmet. After determining that he hadn't broken any bones or a head injury, we made our way back home and to the frustrated, screaming almost-three year old sitting in and empty tub...and I was glad, for a moment, that I've learned to tune out tantrum cries over injury cries. (Chase was ultimately calmed by the humor of Blake dumping water on himself...while standing OUTside of the tub. One thing at a time...But no question that Blake deserves the Best Big Brother award all around on this one.)

From the best I could tell, most of the blood was coming from Garrett's mouth. And like the tough kid he can be, Garrett didn't cry or scream...he held it together courageously...at least until he saw himself in the mirror. It was then that I realized he chipped and cracked a front (adult) tooth and then reality of things hit him. We cleaned him up and miraculously the only injury he had was a punctured lip and some loose/chipped/cracked teeth. So, basically, he ate some asphalt. Could have been SO much worse.

Four days later you can hardly tell.

Remarkably, the dentist was able to temporarily repair his tooth and a soft diet is IN while sports are OUT for the next week or so. And time will tell if the root will heal or not. As for getting back on the bike? Once things heal we will cross the "get back up and try again" bridge we've all crossed at some point in our lives. For Garrett, I don't think eating asphalt will deter him for long...but maybe it will help him to slow down. And I'll be restocking the first aid kit just in case.

The Summer We Went Dark

The goal was to simplify our lives where we can. So much of life around us feels more unpredictable by the day and the time, zooming by faster than ever. What else can we do but hunker down, focus on what's important and control what we can control to feel more secure? We didn't have to cancel the tv dish, but we decided it was worth the sacrifice with the monthly expense we would save. And I've maintained for a while that as dependent as I am sometimes on the "free babysitter", the tv seems to bring out the worst in the older kids. When they aren't fighting over what to watch, it's probably because they are watching something inappropriate. And the brand marketing in commercials is ridiculous. On a recent short road trip, for example, the kids were singing commercial jingles for Nationwide Insurance and Red Robin instead of nursery rhymes.

We made the decision with the idea that we could always sign back up if we felt the need to. But, really, we didn't have anything to lose. What I didn't expect, however, is how much we would gain.

I explained to the kids that we no longer had tv and braced myself for the backlash. Nothing. Not even a complaint...or whining...or endless questions challenging WHY the decision was made. Instead, the kids found other activities to occupy themselves. And not just that- they have been playing more cooperatively together, which is something I never would have predicted. They fashioned a pirate ship out of the picnic bench, had a treasure hunt, read books, built train tracks, raced matchbox cars and used their imaginations while they played with everything from their squirt guns to their plastic animals. And still no complaints. What's also amazing to me is that the house is SO MUCH QUIETER without the tv blaring in the background. And I can hear myself think...which means I have a lot more patience (which, believe me, is better for everybody). And time. For someone who never watched a lot of tv to begin with, I somehow find myself more productive during the day (and the kids have stepped up their chores- even asking to do extra!) and with more down time at night. I even had a conversation with Brian the other night without the constant distraction of pausing the tv. I can generally say that I feel more engaged with the people around me.

So the few dollars we are saving without the tv have bought something more valuable. More family time. And when it comes to simplifying, isn't spending more quality time with family what it's really all about?

Out and About in San Diego

It's vacation time for the Wilcoxes...which means the annual week of "stay-cation" activities we get to enjoy as a family. This is by far the highlight of our summer.

We kicked things off with a day of good old fashioned picnicking with family at Santee Lakes. We even had our 15 (mili)seconds of fame as a local news station filmed us. This quickly became a game of "How Many Wilcoxes Can You Count". Wanna play? (click to access link) I think just about all 16 of us made it on the news clip to some degree. And the kids couldn't have had more fun at the splash pad. For the twins (who can't swim yet), it was a welcomed chance to play independently in the water...however they wanted. It was a great day and fun time spent with cousins.

If there is a table full of girls, you can bet Garrett will be near.

Coming off the 4th of July and needing to recover from way too many nights of going to bed late, we opted for a low-key bowling excursion on Tuesday. Unfortunately, I think the novelty has worn off some for the twins, who were done by the fourth frame (granted a game with six players does seem endless when the ball is getting stranded in the lane every other turn...or taking an eternity make its way to the pins, only to knock down ONE). And the boys were anxious to make their way to the arcade, where Garrett promptly spent the $4 in quarters he brought on pencil toppers (another pointless collectible)...and Blake spent most of his trying to win a stuffed dinosaur for Chase using "the claaaawww". No such luck, but a sweet gesture none the less.

We braved the beach on Wednesday...with the rest of San Diego and out of town visitors. But the boys love any opportunity to crash into waves and the twins to dig in wet sand. Garrett also got try out his new boogie board, which he picked up quickly.

Blake has been saving diligently for an iPod Touch, so rather than spend his money on a boogie board, he opted for the less expensive water toy- the pool noodle.

The twins are still not too excited about moving water, but Chase had a great time making friends with the sand crabs and Ella enjoyed the multiple trips to the "big girl potty" and the perpetual process of getting sandy, showering off, getting sandy, showering off, so on and so forth.

Chase's red bucket is full of sand crabs.

Even though going to the movie theater for the first time to see Cars2 was supposed to be Chase's potty training reward (it didn't take long for me to realize that unlike his sister, Chase isn't quite ready to potty train), we had planned to go all along and decided to go through with it. The twins did better than I thought through the previews, but Chase promptly declared he was ready to go home after they ended (flashback to fireworks...). We convinced him to stay and to eat his popcorn. They made it through almost half of the movie before they decided they would rather explore. Ella was especially upset to learn that when the movie ended, it was over and time to go home. She learned the hard way that movies at the theater do not pause while you get up to play. Needless to say, the twins' lack of naps this week was quickly catching up with them.

But not to worry...the backyard camp out was sure to wear them out! We saw this as a trial run for "real" camping and campfire fun for the twins. The kids had a blast roasting hot dogs and smores on the little red bbq.

And playing outside after dark wasn't so bad either.

But NOTHING can compare with sleeping in the tent!

Do you think someone is excited?

It was a perfect night for camping and I loved that the option of modern conveniences was footsteps away! The kids did great sleeping in the tent (except maybe Chase, who was fighting with his brother in his sleep...literally! and Ella who woke up three times to go potty).

Judging from the next morning, I would say it was a success.

But, alas, what would a true vacation be without a trip to Urgent Care? Chase tripped running out of the tent and spent the night and morning scooting around so as not to put pressure on his foot. An x-ray confirmed no broken bones, but follow up will be necessary if it doesn't improve by next week (which it seems to be, thankfully!).

And then there were the little things that make vacation...plenty of junk food, time spent with extended family, staying up late and sleeping in (for the kids at least), lots of sunshine and water and hopefully some good memories. Restful and relaxing? Not exactly...but nothing with four kids ever is. And it's just enough to make you long for the predictable chaos that is "normal" to recover from the "fun".

Something tells me I'm not the only one...