It is coming to the end of August and I have mixed emotions. Jordan has been out of control this week - running away worse than ever, screaming, yelling, not listening - I feel like we have regressed three years. I think she is ready to be back at school and for some normal routine.
But I love having everyone home and am going to miss them all like crazy when that first day comes around in a couple weeks!!
The last couple weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions. My best friend and her family moved to Florida. Her husband was offered truly his dream job working for Disney. In two weeks they got the job offer and packed up and moved. Their daughter, Julia, is Jordan's best friend and as much as it is too abstract for her to truly comprehend that Julia is gone, something has sunk in which has led to a few teary episodes and, I believe, contributed to some of our recent outbursts!! It has been an emotional time for all of us. Walking through their empty house with them one last time was heartwrenching.
And then in the midst of it - there are the funny moments to celebrate. Jordan turned six about a month ago - it took us almost 11 months to convince her to say 5 when she was asked her age so when Kelly asked her the other day at dance if she was 21 and her immediate response was to say, "nooo- I six", it was a monumental moment!!
Or last night when we were watching TV and a commercial for Hershey's came on. Jordie's reaction "Chocolate. I love chocolate" - perfectly enunciated!!" And very true!
The biggest lessons Jordan has taught me is to slow down and appreciate the small things!! It is the small things that make Heather's and my friendship what it is and what it will continue to be, despite half a continent between us!
The chaos
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
An hour at football
JJ had receiver camp this week for an hour and half every afternoon while Jessi and Bethany were at dance camp. Today I got tired of the whole throw the three little ones in their car seats for five minutes to drop him off and decided that we would just hang out there the last hour today.
It was actually great weather - a little warm but not bad so for the first 45 minutes the three of them just found discarded footballs and threw them around. Which was all good other than the moments that Timothy clearly demonstrated he has been watching how to tackle so when Nathan would pick up the football he would get plowed over by Timothy.
In the midst of this Timothy suddenly spotted JJ - who was participating in a drill. Timothy started yelling "JJ" "JJ". I told him "Timothy, shhh, JJ is busy!" To which Timothy turned to me and announced very loudly, "I talking to JJ!" turned back around and started yelling "JJ", "JJ" - "Timothy - JJ is busy - be quiet!", "Mom - I talking to JJ" It was pretty funny!
The last fifteen minutes we moved over to another part of the track that runs around the field - suddenly all three of their eyes lit up as they spotted the puddle. I saw it and thought - perfect they will run through that and splash a bit - perfect to keep them in one place and busy for the last little bit. I turned to watch JJ and when I turned back around there was Timothy - stomach down in his dirty puddle paddling his arms and legs!
"Tate - whatcha doing?"
"I swimmin' in da puddle!!!"
After a bit of this he realized his hair was not wet so he stood in the middle of the puddle and leaned over until his head hit the water. Which Nathan immediately tried to copy but couldn't quite bring himself to lean over far enough.
Timothy got filthy - he was soaked back to front and through his diaper but he was having fun. A couple moms there kept shooting me dirty looks - which kind of surprised me - really? what is the big deal that a five year old, a two year old and a one year old jumping around in a puddle - yes Timothy may have taken it a little far - but who was he hurting? My car? I simply stripped him before I put him in. He wasn't being loud, he wasn't getting anyone else wet - just having fun in a dirty puddle!! How long are we young enough to truly not care that we are getting wet and dirty and people are looking at us? Celebrate it while we can!!
And as a side note - the dads standing there thought it was great :)
It was actually great weather - a little warm but not bad so for the first 45 minutes the three of them just found discarded footballs and threw them around. Which was all good other than the moments that Timothy clearly demonstrated he has been watching how to tackle so when Nathan would pick up the football he would get plowed over by Timothy.
In the midst of this Timothy suddenly spotted JJ - who was participating in a drill. Timothy started yelling "JJ" "JJ". I told him "Timothy, shhh, JJ is busy!" To which Timothy turned to me and announced very loudly, "I talking to JJ!" turned back around and started yelling "JJ", "JJ" - "Timothy - JJ is busy - be quiet!", "Mom - I talking to JJ" It was pretty funny!
The last fifteen minutes we moved over to another part of the track that runs around the field - suddenly all three of their eyes lit up as they spotted the puddle. I saw it and thought - perfect they will run through that and splash a bit - perfect to keep them in one place and busy for the last little bit. I turned to watch JJ and when I turned back around there was Timothy - stomach down in his dirty puddle paddling his arms and legs!
"Tate - whatcha doing?"
"I swimmin' in da puddle!!!"
After a bit of this he realized his hair was not wet so he stood in the middle of the puddle and leaned over until his head hit the water. Which Nathan immediately tried to copy but couldn't quite bring himself to lean over far enough.
Timothy got filthy - he was soaked back to front and through his diaper but he was having fun. A couple moms there kept shooting me dirty looks - which kind of surprised me - really? what is the big deal that a five year old, a two year old and a one year old jumping around in a puddle - yes Timothy may have taken it a little far - but who was he hurting? My car? I simply stripped him before I put him in. He wasn't being loud, he wasn't getting anyone else wet - just having fun in a dirty puddle!! How long are we young enough to truly not care that we are getting wet and dirty and people are looking at us? Celebrate it while we can!!
And as a side note - the dads standing there thought it was great :)
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The Value of an Hour
Yesterday took an unexpected detour to Battle Lake (3 hours from here) and back.
Jessi headed off to Camp Battle Lake - also known as my in-laws' cabin. My in-laws have a tradition that Jessi and my niece Lucy spend about a week a the cabin with them each summer. Yesterday my brother-in-law, Bobby, flew in with Lucy, we met them for lunch, and then off they headed to Battle for a few days of fun in the sun and water with Nanny and Grandpa Bob.
I headed home (down two kids now since Bethany is at camp as well - which makes me feel like I am always forgetting something!!). About two hours later I looked at the floor of the living room to see Jessi's two bathing suits and the t-shirt we had made for Lucy sitting on the floor! My heart sank.
You have to understand that Jessi has been planning this trip for months!! And since I have not had a washing maching for a few weeks she has carefully been saving exactly what she wanted to bring - esp the bathing suits. One was new, only worn once, but she had doggedly not worn it to guarantee that she would have it to wear at Battle. And she loves that I make t-shirts every year for her and Lucy to wear - seh was so excited to give Lucy the shirt!! And they were sparkly this year!
I made some phone calls, inlcuding to Jessi, and I had one very sad 8 year old. I quickly headed to the post office (it is was almost 5pm and I was hoping to get it out) but I knew it was possible it wouldn't get there until Thurs - and we would all be up there Sat - the end of camp for her.
I started playing with time in my head trying to figure out if I could drive up there. It is 6 hours round trip and I realized if I skipped my soccer board meeting I could get up there and back by about midnight. Jessi is my kid who often gets lost in the shuffle, she is trying to figure out who she is and where she belongs - she and I are so much alike that we are like oil and water. I realized that driving up there was a great opportunity to let her know that what is important to her is worth my time just because it is important to her. I know it seems silly for a couple of suits but I also understand how devastated that all her planning had gotten messed up (I am pretty sure Jordan unpacked Jessi's suitcase).
When I ws about 16 I had a band concert I wasn't allowed to miss that conflicted with a basketball tournament. My dad drove me all the way to The Hague (from Frankfurt) the day after the concert so I could play basketball. I am guessing it was about a 20 hour round trip drive - that he did in one day - just because he knew that that tournament was important to me. That was over 20 years ago and I am still grateful for the love and sacrfifice he gave me.
Will Jessi remember this for 20 years? Probably not - but she will remember it this week - and she knows it was something that was done JUST for her HER - not for any of her siblings - just her!! And there are two scenerios - either it didn't matter to her much and I wasted 6 hours and a tank of gas - not that much considering the alternative - that it did matter and did send the message to her that she is important to me!
So what is the value of an hour - sometimes priceless :)
Jessi headed off to Camp Battle Lake - also known as my in-laws' cabin. My in-laws have a tradition that Jessi and my niece Lucy spend about a week a the cabin with them each summer. Yesterday my brother-in-law, Bobby, flew in with Lucy, we met them for lunch, and then off they headed to Battle for a few days of fun in the sun and water with Nanny and Grandpa Bob.
I headed home (down two kids now since Bethany is at camp as well - which makes me feel like I am always forgetting something!!). About two hours later I looked at the floor of the living room to see Jessi's two bathing suits and the t-shirt we had made for Lucy sitting on the floor! My heart sank.
You have to understand that Jessi has been planning this trip for months!! And since I have not had a washing maching for a few weeks she has carefully been saving exactly what she wanted to bring - esp the bathing suits. One was new, only worn once, but she had doggedly not worn it to guarantee that she would have it to wear at Battle. And she loves that I make t-shirts every year for her and Lucy to wear - seh was so excited to give Lucy the shirt!! And they were sparkly this year!
I made some phone calls, inlcuding to Jessi, and I had one very sad 8 year old. I quickly headed to the post office (it is was almost 5pm and I was hoping to get it out) but I knew it was possible it wouldn't get there until Thurs - and we would all be up there Sat - the end of camp for her.
I started playing with time in my head trying to figure out if I could drive up there. It is 6 hours round trip and I realized if I skipped my soccer board meeting I could get up there and back by about midnight. Jessi is my kid who often gets lost in the shuffle, she is trying to figure out who she is and where she belongs - she and I are so much alike that we are like oil and water. I realized that driving up there was a great opportunity to let her know that what is important to her is worth my time just because it is important to her. I know it seems silly for a couple of suits but I also understand how devastated that all her planning had gotten messed up (I am pretty sure Jordan unpacked Jessi's suitcase).
When I ws about 16 I had a band concert I wasn't allowed to miss that conflicted with a basketball tournament. My dad drove me all the way to The Hague (from Frankfurt) the day after the concert so I could play basketball. I am guessing it was about a 20 hour round trip drive - that he did in one day - just because he knew that that tournament was important to me. That was over 20 years ago and I am still grateful for the love and sacrfifice he gave me.
Will Jessi remember this for 20 years? Probably not - but she will remember it this week - and she knows it was something that was done JUST for her HER - not for any of her siblings - just her!! And there are two scenerios - either it didn't matter to her much and I wasted 6 hours and a tank of gas - not that much considering the alternative - that it did matter and did send the message to her that she is important to me!
So what is the value of an hour - sometimes priceless :)
Monday, July 12, 2010
Back to normal - sort of :)
We got Nathan back today after not having him for three weeks!! It was a step back into reality - in a good way. We have been on "vacation" but it was interspersed with things like the AC going out which made it not all together relaxing!!
So today was actually a beautiful moment of summer - Heather, Owen and Julia were over and the kids played out in the backyard for a couple hours while Heather and I just hung out and chatted - Summer truly does not get any better than that (okay Julia's faceplant coming down the slide that ended in a tooth coming out was not the best but you know - other than that...)
It is very odd not having Bethany home - she is at camp for two weeks and I miss her like crazy - I feel like I am always missing someone!! Tomorrow Jessi leaves for my in-laws cabin with her cousin and uncle - my house will seem empty!!
Nathan's favorite phrase is "what's that?" This sounds adorable - and it is the first 150 times you hear it- after that - a little wearing :) Apparently TImothy thought so as well because the two boys were sitting on JJ tonight as JJ was reading on Sonny's Kindle. Nathan kept saying "what's that?" and Timothy kept dutifully responding, until he had heard the question enough. At this point he yelled very clearly at Nathan, " A KIN-DLE" Pretty funny.
Timothy and Jordan were glad to have Nathan back though - it's kind of funny but it seems when you throw Nathan in the mix Jordan and Timothy pick on each other a little less. They aren't picking on Nathan but they don't mother hen each other as much. Maybe it is because Nathan doesn't seem to mind them mother henning him!!
Nathan also experienced the ramifications of walking behind a 7 year old on a moving swing today - you can imagine the result of that. Why is it that every child needs to get hit by a swing at least 15 times before they learn Newton's law that an object in motion will stay in motion until an opposing force acts upon it (I think - I might have the wrong :))
I have also half-heartedly started the potty training battle with Timothy- I started the chocolate bribe - he is obsessed with chocolate so it might actually succeed!! Maybe - he is pretty determined to do his own thing!! And that thing is usually anything he thinks I don't want him to do -he is two after all - LOL!
I am really like this summer's lazy days - I don't even want to think about the fact that fall soccer starts in a month and then school is just around the corner!!
So today was actually a beautiful moment of summer - Heather, Owen and Julia were over and the kids played out in the backyard for a couple hours while Heather and I just hung out and chatted - Summer truly does not get any better than that (okay Julia's faceplant coming down the slide that ended in a tooth coming out was not the best but you know - other than that...)
It is very odd not having Bethany home - she is at camp for two weeks and I miss her like crazy - I feel like I am always missing someone!! Tomorrow Jessi leaves for my in-laws cabin with her cousin and uncle - my house will seem empty!!
Nathan's favorite phrase is "what's that?" This sounds adorable - and it is the first 150 times you hear it- after that - a little wearing :) Apparently TImothy thought so as well because the two boys were sitting on JJ tonight as JJ was reading on Sonny's Kindle. Nathan kept saying "what's that?" and Timothy kept dutifully responding, until he had heard the question enough. At this point he yelled very clearly at Nathan, " A KIN-DLE" Pretty funny.
Timothy and Jordan were glad to have Nathan back though - it's kind of funny but it seems when you throw Nathan in the mix Jordan and Timothy pick on each other a little less. They aren't picking on Nathan but they don't mother hen each other as much. Maybe it is because Nathan doesn't seem to mind them mother henning him!!
Nathan also experienced the ramifications of walking behind a 7 year old on a moving swing today - you can imagine the result of that. Why is it that every child needs to get hit by a swing at least 15 times before they learn Newton's law that an object in motion will stay in motion until an opposing force acts upon it (I think - I might have the wrong :))
I have also half-heartedly started the potty training battle with Timothy- I started the chocolate bribe - he is obsessed with chocolate so it might actually succeed!! Maybe - he is pretty determined to do his own thing!! And that thing is usually anything he thinks I don't want him to do -he is two after all - LOL!
I am really like this summer's lazy days - I don't even want to think about the fact that fall soccer starts in a month and then school is just around the corner!!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
4th of JULY!!
First of all thank you to all of you who have encouraged me to start blogging again - the fact that you all read this and appreciate it is amazing!! You guys rock!!
I think my friendships are more serious now than they used to be. I used to be friends with whoever, whenever - now I think I have fewer friends but deeper friendships!! I don't know if that is the fact that I have a child with special needs, or that Sonny travels so much and the kids are so busy that friendship time is more precious, or that I am just getting older (old-er NOT old :)) - but whatever the reason my friendships seem more precious than they did when I was younger!
4th of July was a perfect example of how precious friends are!
It was a challenging day for me- my washing machine had broken down during the week, the day before our TV upstairs had inexplicably stopped working and the clincher - the air conditioning stopped functioning. The biggest bummer about the AC is that the day before I noticed it not working well but hoped it just needed a new filter so I replaced it and didn't open any windows. It was in the high 80s with 80 percent humidity - even through the night so you can do the math to what our house felt like by Sun afternoon!! We hadn't gone to church because of the lovely cough that Timothy and Jordan had picked up.
But I was working on my attitude - it was the 4th of July after all. The day that we celebrate the birth of our incredible nation - where we can live free and prosperously. Where I can take for granted the conveniences of AC, washing machines and cable. Where my children - even my cognitively challenged child - are guaranteed an education and a place of value in our society. A day to be grateful and thankful for all the men and women who have given their lives for our freedom from the revolutionary war right up to today in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Okay - so after that pep talk to myself - could I really justify in any way, shape or form feeling sorry for myself? Unfortunately as the day progressed - yes - well not justify but certainly give into a little pity :)
I don't know if it is summer vacation, or being sick, or being difficult but my previously, basically potty trained sweet five year old Jordan has taken huge, huge steps backwards!! Esp that Sun! We had three pools set up in the backyard - Jordan managed to poop in three outfits that day (prior to the twice when friends were actually at our house that night). Large, gross poops. So yes, I threw a little pity at myself as I scrubbed clothes in the sink (no washing machine), cleaned the bathroom (not sure how she does it but there was poop every where!!), with sweat dripping off me (no AC - that window doesn't open). Finally the last time I literally just dumped chlorox bleach on the floor!! On the flip side - the sauna of a bathroom that I was working in had to have beneficial skin properties.
So what does this have to do with friendship? By the time the Raus and the Sobolls got to our house that night for a bonfire/hang out/go to fireworks I was done, didn't want to go near the house, didn't want one more thing to do wrong!! The next few hours (despite two more poopy pants) was like an island oasis in a week where everything I touched came crashing down. Just to sit and laugh and enjoy conversation as the kids played in the backyard was such a blessing.
And a reminder of how precious friendship is - how it should be honored and not pushed aside!! How grateful I am to the friends that are walking this path of life with me!! That listen to me, cry with me, pray with me and most importantly - laugh with me!!
I think my friendships are more serious now than they used to be. I used to be friends with whoever, whenever - now I think I have fewer friends but deeper friendships!! I don't know if that is the fact that I have a child with special needs, or that Sonny travels so much and the kids are so busy that friendship time is more precious, or that I am just getting older (old-er NOT old :)) - but whatever the reason my friendships seem more precious than they did when I was younger!
4th of July was a perfect example of how precious friends are!
It was a challenging day for me- my washing machine had broken down during the week, the day before our TV upstairs had inexplicably stopped working and the clincher - the air conditioning stopped functioning. The biggest bummer about the AC is that the day before I noticed it not working well but hoped it just needed a new filter so I replaced it and didn't open any windows. It was in the high 80s with 80 percent humidity - even through the night so you can do the math to what our house felt like by Sun afternoon!! We hadn't gone to church because of the lovely cough that Timothy and Jordan had picked up.
But I was working on my attitude - it was the 4th of July after all. The day that we celebrate the birth of our incredible nation - where we can live free and prosperously. Where I can take for granted the conveniences of AC, washing machines and cable. Where my children - even my cognitively challenged child - are guaranteed an education and a place of value in our society. A day to be grateful and thankful for all the men and women who have given their lives for our freedom from the revolutionary war right up to today in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Okay - so after that pep talk to myself - could I really justify in any way, shape or form feeling sorry for myself? Unfortunately as the day progressed - yes - well not justify but certainly give into a little pity :)
I don't know if it is summer vacation, or being sick, or being difficult but my previously, basically potty trained sweet five year old Jordan has taken huge, huge steps backwards!! Esp that Sun! We had three pools set up in the backyard - Jordan managed to poop in three outfits that day (prior to the twice when friends were actually at our house that night). Large, gross poops. So yes, I threw a little pity at myself as I scrubbed clothes in the sink (no washing machine), cleaned the bathroom (not sure how she does it but there was poop every where!!), with sweat dripping off me (no AC - that window doesn't open). Finally the last time I literally just dumped chlorox bleach on the floor!! On the flip side - the sauna of a bathroom that I was working in had to have beneficial skin properties.
So what does this have to do with friendship? By the time the Raus and the Sobolls got to our house that night for a bonfire/hang out/go to fireworks I was done, didn't want to go near the house, didn't want one more thing to do wrong!! The next few hours (despite two more poopy pants) was like an island oasis in a week where everything I touched came crashing down. Just to sit and laugh and enjoy conversation as the kids played in the backyard was such a blessing.
And a reminder of how precious friendship is - how it should be honored and not pushed aside!! How grateful I am to the friends that are walking this path of life with me!! That listen to me, cry with me, pray with me and most importantly - laugh with me!!
Monday, May 17, 2010
funny moments
So it's been awhile - reality set in a little too hard when we got home from FL.
.There are plenty of moments that should be recorded here - like the morning I woke up to find that Jordan had pillaged my pantry during the night - there was powdered sugar and rice and permanent marker EVERY WHERE!!! In case you were wondering it takes about six moppings to get 6lbs of powedered sugar off the floor. Later that morning Timothy threw shampoo all over the living room floor so you stuck to my kitchen/dining room and slid across my living room!!
But the funny moments fortunately always seem to out weigh the challenging ones...
Jordan was "reading" her Bible on the way to church on Sunday and saw a picture of Jesus hanging on the cross.
"oh - He died"
"yes - you're right"
"i died too"
"no Jesus died so you don't have to"
"oh - cool"
Timothy running in circles yelling "I run in circles" until he fell over and then getting up and doing it all over again!!
Heather showed Jordan how to do the robot the other day while Jordan was doing her ballet dance - Jordan added it right in. Could be an interesting ballet dance at the recital this weekend!!
Timothy is by far the most verbal child I have had. He will be 2 next month but he is talking up a storm. Fortunately his "nooo" is too cute to irritating :)
We make quite a procession at soccer. I haven't had my stroller the last couple of times because the back of my car has all the costumes (much safer than in the house!!). Last Thurs I dropped Jessi at her field and then drove around to drop off Bethany and park. (Jessi and Bethany play at the same time this year). I got the three little ones out in the lovely sleet and watched Bethany for a few minutes. Jordan decided she had to go potty (one of those love/hate relationships I have - she has a fetish for port-a-potties of all things but I would rather have her in there than having accidents) So Jordan takes off for the potty which is three fields away. I am carrying Nathan - who has rather strong feelings about the idea that we would be out at a soccer game in the sleet, Jordan is running ahead of me and Timothy is slowly following behind! I am sure that we made quite the entertainment! All this was fine except the path between the big fields and the little fields don't match up so Jordan just charged right through a soccer game to get to the potty!! Fortunately the ball was at the other end of the field!!
My favorite right now is that Jordan keeps telling me that I forgot Nathan. She doesn't quite get that Nathan isn't actually her sibling. I think she thinks we "own" him and share him with Jen. Sorry Jen! So she will regularly ask me when Nathan is coming home. Or when we are in the car she will announce - MOMMYYYY - you forgot Nathan!! Or she will ask "where's Nathan?" When I tell her Jen has him she sighs at me like I have inconvenienced her!!
Oh and her random "I love you Mommy"s are pretty special too!!! =)!!
.There are plenty of moments that should be recorded here - like the morning I woke up to find that Jordan had pillaged my pantry during the night - there was powdered sugar and rice and permanent marker EVERY WHERE!!! In case you were wondering it takes about six moppings to get 6lbs of powedered sugar off the floor. Later that morning Timothy threw shampoo all over the living room floor so you stuck to my kitchen/dining room and slid across my living room!!
But the funny moments fortunately always seem to out weigh the challenging ones...
Jordan was "reading" her Bible on the way to church on Sunday and saw a picture of Jesus hanging on the cross.
"oh - He died"
"yes - you're right"
"i died too"
"no Jesus died so you don't have to"
"oh - cool"
Timothy running in circles yelling "I run in circles" until he fell over and then getting up and doing it all over again!!
Heather showed Jordan how to do the robot the other day while Jordan was doing her ballet dance - Jordan added it right in. Could be an interesting ballet dance at the recital this weekend!!
Timothy is by far the most verbal child I have had. He will be 2 next month but he is talking up a storm. Fortunately his "nooo" is too cute to irritating :)
We make quite a procession at soccer. I haven't had my stroller the last couple of times because the back of my car has all the costumes (much safer than in the house!!). Last Thurs I dropped Jessi at her field and then drove around to drop off Bethany and park. (Jessi and Bethany play at the same time this year). I got the three little ones out in the lovely sleet and watched Bethany for a few minutes. Jordan decided she had to go potty (one of those love/hate relationships I have - she has a fetish for port-a-potties of all things but I would rather have her in there than having accidents) So Jordan takes off for the potty which is three fields away. I am carrying Nathan - who has rather strong feelings about the idea that we would be out at a soccer game in the sleet, Jordan is running ahead of me and Timothy is slowly following behind! I am sure that we made quite the entertainment! All this was fine except the path between the big fields and the little fields don't match up so Jordan just charged right through a soccer game to get to the potty!! Fortunately the ball was at the other end of the field!!
My favorite right now is that Jordan keeps telling me that I forgot Nathan. She doesn't quite get that Nathan isn't actually her sibling. I think she thinks we "own" him and share him with Jen. Sorry Jen! So she will regularly ask me when Nathan is coming home. Or when we are in the car she will announce - MOMMYYYY - you forgot Nathan!! Or she will ask "where's Nathan?" When I tell her Jen has him she sighs at me like I have inconvenienced her!!
Oh and her random "I love you Mommy"s are pretty special too!!! =)!!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Florida and back to reality :)
Florida was amazing!! I am so grateful to my in-laws for making it happen. It was really fun to just have time with my oldest two. JJ and Bethany and I were in Vero Beach at my in-laws for about a week and the weather was perfect. We spent ages at the pool and the beach - one day Bethany was literally in the ocean for four hours straight!! It was really relaxing and fun. My brother-in-law, Bob, and niece, Lucy were there as well. It was great to actually spend time with them - I feel like usually when we have seen them it is rushed or crazy because I am chasing other kids or we are running around doing stuff. Lucy is seven now and fun to be around! We got ice cream on the boardwalk almost every night, went on an airboat ride (saw 25 alligators - my favorite was the baby that Lucy spotted), JJ and I got up early and saw the shuttle launch over the beach, Bethany and I got pedicures (her first), saw dolphins and manatees in the river in my in-laws backyard and read a ton of books. And the last day I got up and walked the beach - ALONE!! AMAZING!! (wish I had thought of doing it sooner :)) So funny - until I had five kids I dreaded doing anything alone - now going for a walk by myself is heaven - on a quiet morning beach - beyond heaven!!
So after this incredible trip reality had to set in - but still - it is good to be home. I missed my munchkins!! Didn't really miss the reality of an eternally messy house, toilets overflowing and exploding diapers Not exploding like leaked all over - exploding like fell a part and I didn't realize it until I took off Timothy's sleeper and discovered the diaper had tore and those itty bits of stuff that cling to everything and are miserable to pick up were all over my couch - oh well the couch cover needed washing anyway (thanks to Timothy and Jordan both finding the black marker yesterday :))!! At least Sonny fixes my washing maching!!
Yesterday we met with our ENT about the results of Jordan's CT Scan. Even if it is my daughter we are talking about - in an abstract way it was pretty cool to see the images. The not so cool part is that her sinuses are pretty full. We have tried all the non-surgical techniques over the last three years - esp this year - antibiotics, maintainence antibiotics, neti pot (HAH - that was a joke), nasal spray, prevacid, more antibiotics. If we want to "solve" it or try to - we are pretty much left with surgery where he will remove part of the bone to allow the sinuses to drain better. Jordan is such a different kid when her sinuses are clear - which is happening less and less often - this past winter courses of antibiotics barely touched her infections! The day after she spent the night puking she was actually the most coherent I have heard her - apparently puking out your nose clears your sinuses!!
We aren't fully back to reality yet - everyone is home today - which I love - esp since the weather is gorgeous for early April in MN! I guess true reality is on Mon when all are back in school!!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Jordan's imagination
When Jordan was born I was told that she would probably never understand imaginary play.
In the last week she has sat in the backyard with Julia telling five year old jokes (you know the ones that only a five year old can find funny) and "roasted" marshmallows over the bonfire pit.
Then she came running in the house the next day telling me that Bop (Bethany) had gotten eaten by a shark (correct dramatic inflection and all). She also tried to convince me there was a shark in the hole in the living room wall.
The next drama was when she told me not to touch a pen because it was fire.
And she regularly pretends it is her birthday and brings us birthday cake from her kitchen. (her real birthday may be a let down after all the un-birthdays she has had this year). She is also serves us pizza off the window shade in the car quite often!
As JJ puts it - she has imagination down pat - it's her reality that needs work!!!
In the last week she has sat in the backyard with Julia telling five year old jokes (you know the ones that only a five year old can find funny) and "roasted" marshmallows over the bonfire pit.
Then she came running in the house the next day telling me that Bop (Bethany) had gotten eaten by a shark (correct dramatic inflection and all). She also tried to convince me there was a shark in the hole in the living room wall.
The next drama was when she told me not to touch a pen because it was fire.
And she regularly pretends it is her birthday and brings us birthday cake from her kitchen. (her real birthday may be a let down after all the un-birthdays she has had this year). She is also serves us pizza off the window shade in the car quite often!
As JJ puts it - she has imagination down pat - it's her reality that needs work!!!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
It's only Wednesday???
Okay - this is the week that will not end :) It was supposed to be my "vacation" week - I hired Heather to nanny for the week so I could work on carnival baskets for the auction at the carnival on Sat. I was going to hang out at PV all week with Karen and other volunteers working on baskets, chatting, being creative, having fun... On Sat I called Heather to see what she wanted me to have in the house for lunches and she said to get dinner staples too, she would start dinner - seriously - could my week get any better, a week with lots of adult time, a clean house (I knew Heather couldn't spend hours in my house and not pick it up) and dinner made - awesome..
ummm yeah....
Monday started out wonderfully - Heather came - I ran through things with her and headed to Prairie View. We got a great start on the baskets, creative juices flowing - okay there was the one Dora basket that toppled over and became a thorn in my side but Dawn rescued me and put it back together much more sturdily. Then the phone rang mid-afternoon and Heather says "I didn't do it"
"okay - what?"
"Your sink is overflowing, the dishwasher is running and it is backing up your sink."
This actually happens more often than I would like to admit - not fun but not a huge deal - although this time it was apparently running out of the bottom of the sink onto the floor. But after further conversation we determined that it was no longer leaking and I would deal with it when I got home.
20 minutes before I am supposed to come home my cell rings again.
"It is raining in your basement."
"o...kay"
"all over your computer"
UGH - apparently it drained through the ceiling and down to the basement and onto the computer. Poor Heather - I felt so badly for her.
I got home a little bit later and realized the U joint to the garbage disposal had come off the other pipe and it had run through there into the vent and through the ceiling vent downstairs and onto the computer - I got the u joint back on but we needed to head to dance. When we got home it was dark and I got the little ones to bed and started to conquer the sink issue. First of all I went downstairs to make sure all the water was cleaned up and everything dried - I turned on the light and it started to fizzle at me - okay leave that for daylight. Back upstairs - I took apart the sink and cleaned all clogs out and re-attached everything securely and poured drano down. (Let me add that I am working on Animal Farm questions with JJ as I do all this - plumbing and philosophy, neither of them strengths of mine!!) Then JJ realizes he has to print the homework he has spent ages getting done and needs to be turned in the next day. Ummm - no printer as it was in the rainstorm in the basement. No internet to e-mail it to anyone. I call Karen, leave Bethany and take JJ over to the Millers to print it. We are at the Millers getting it printed and thinking the night is almost over - I think the sink might have a few issues but am hoping for the best. Then my cell rings (seriously I might stop answering the thing) It's Bethany - "Jordan threw up" UGH!!!!! I tell Bethany to get her in the tub and that we will be home in a few minutes and I will deal with it!
In twelve years of parenting I have experienced my fair share of puking episodes - none of them pleasant memories - the next nine hours however take the cake as by far the single worst puking virus we have ever experienced. For nine hours Jordan threw up about every 20 minutes - violently - the first few times, violently enough she puked through her nose. I have not experienced projectile vomiting with the range she had - and I had a baby that projectile vomited. UNBELIEVABLE!!! And of course the majority of my towels are soaking wet from cleaning up the leaking sink!!
Bonus - my sink was fixed!! I decided not to try the dishwasher again Mon night since I preferred not to have it raining in one room and a puking kid in the other :)
So about 6am Jordan and I finally fell asleep - my alarm went off at 6:45am and the day began - (can I just say that I have become way way too old for 45 minute nights????) And funnily enough Heather didn't want to come sit with a possibly puking child!! (go figure - help these days - just kidding) So I spent the day with a cranky toddler and a sickish five year old instead of making baskets and chatting with fun adults :). Thank goodness the puking had mostly stopped and I found Wiggles on Comcast On Demand! (Even Wiggles sinking Mandarin much to JJ's delight - my future Chinese scholar :))
By the end of Tues I had caught up on laundry (and by caught up I mean I was back where I was on Mon - prior to all the wet towels and puked on blankets) I had clean linens on Jordan's and my beds, no one else was puking - life was back on track!! I did have fear about the wisdom of serving homemade pizzas to the kids for dinner - red sauce isn't the best choice of food when there is a potential puking bug in the house!!
Everyone went to bed, laundry got folded, I was about to drift off to sleep about 10:30pm when I hear the water turn on in the bathtub upstairs - my heart sank. The only reason I could think of for the tub to be running in the middle of the night - unless the dog had suddenly grown opposable thumbs and decided to bathe herself - was that either JJ or Jessi had thrown up and then jumped in to get cleaned up. It took all my will power to go upstairs and check - I opened both bedroom doors - Jessi isn't in her bed but there is no sign of puke and no smell. I gently open the bathroom door and Jessi is in the tub. I say, "What are you doing?" (I can't decide if this is hysterically funny or truly scary) - she says "I don't know - I must have sleep walked" Right now despite the obvious scary consequences I have to say that the look on her face and her "I don't know" is still cracking me up - but then I am still a little sleep deprived!!
Then to top off my evening - my washing machine went on the fritz!! It gave me an error code but we have lost the book and I can't look it up because - no internet ( I seriously live a 21st century lifestyle!!)
Tonight however - my house is clean - thanks to Heather, we had delicious dinner - thanks to Heather, baskets are way ahead of schedule - thanks to awesome volunteers and Heather :). And I have exhausted my limited talent in plumbing, nursing, whatever area of expertise it takes to fix a washing machine that is giving you an error code and you don't know the code :), and pseudo carpentry ( I fixed the loose, about to fall apart chair this afternoon - pseudo because it is an IKEA chair so it doesn't really take much carpentry - ir any! Might have been more humorous had I left it however!!)
The end of the week can not possible be as exciting as the beginning but I better head to bed just in case...
ummm yeah....
Monday started out wonderfully - Heather came - I ran through things with her and headed to Prairie View. We got a great start on the baskets, creative juices flowing - okay there was the one Dora basket that toppled over and became a thorn in my side but Dawn rescued me and put it back together much more sturdily. Then the phone rang mid-afternoon and Heather says "I didn't do it"
"okay - what?"
"Your sink is overflowing, the dishwasher is running and it is backing up your sink."
This actually happens more often than I would like to admit - not fun but not a huge deal - although this time it was apparently running out of the bottom of the sink onto the floor. But after further conversation we determined that it was no longer leaking and I would deal with it when I got home.
20 minutes before I am supposed to come home my cell rings again.
"It is raining in your basement."
"o...kay"
"all over your computer"
UGH - apparently it drained through the ceiling and down to the basement and onto the computer. Poor Heather - I felt so badly for her.
I got home a little bit later and realized the U joint to the garbage disposal had come off the other pipe and it had run through there into the vent and through the ceiling vent downstairs and onto the computer - I got the u joint back on but we needed to head to dance. When we got home it was dark and I got the little ones to bed and started to conquer the sink issue. First of all I went downstairs to make sure all the water was cleaned up and everything dried - I turned on the light and it started to fizzle at me - okay leave that for daylight. Back upstairs - I took apart the sink and cleaned all clogs out and re-attached everything securely and poured drano down. (Let me add that I am working on Animal Farm questions with JJ as I do all this - plumbing and philosophy, neither of them strengths of mine!!) Then JJ realizes he has to print the homework he has spent ages getting done and needs to be turned in the next day. Ummm - no printer as it was in the rainstorm in the basement. No internet to e-mail it to anyone. I call Karen, leave Bethany and take JJ over to the Millers to print it. We are at the Millers getting it printed and thinking the night is almost over - I think the sink might have a few issues but am hoping for the best. Then my cell rings (seriously I might stop answering the thing) It's Bethany - "Jordan threw up" UGH!!!!! I tell Bethany to get her in the tub and that we will be home in a few minutes and I will deal with it!
In twelve years of parenting I have experienced my fair share of puking episodes - none of them pleasant memories - the next nine hours however take the cake as by far the single worst puking virus we have ever experienced. For nine hours Jordan threw up about every 20 minutes - violently - the first few times, violently enough she puked through her nose. I have not experienced projectile vomiting with the range she had - and I had a baby that projectile vomited. UNBELIEVABLE!!! And of course the majority of my towels are soaking wet from cleaning up the leaking sink!!
Bonus - my sink was fixed!! I decided not to try the dishwasher again Mon night since I preferred not to have it raining in one room and a puking kid in the other :)
So about 6am Jordan and I finally fell asleep - my alarm went off at 6:45am and the day began - (can I just say that I have become way way too old for 45 minute nights????) And funnily enough Heather didn't want to come sit with a possibly puking child!! (go figure - help these days - just kidding) So I spent the day with a cranky toddler and a sickish five year old instead of making baskets and chatting with fun adults :). Thank goodness the puking had mostly stopped and I found Wiggles on Comcast On Demand! (Even Wiggles sinking Mandarin much to JJ's delight - my future Chinese scholar :))
By the end of Tues I had caught up on laundry (and by caught up I mean I was back where I was on Mon - prior to all the wet towels and puked on blankets) I had clean linens on Jordan's and my beds, no one else was puking - life was back on track!! I did have fear about the wisdom of serving homemade pizzas to the kids for dinner - red sauce isn't the best choice of food when there is a potential puking bug in the house!!
Everyone went to bed, laundry got folded, I was about to drift off to sleep about 10:30pm when I hear the water turn on in the bathtub upstairs - my heart sank. The only reason I could think of for the tub to be running in the middle of the night - unless the dog had suddenly grown opposable thumbs and decided to bathe herself - was that either JJ or Jessi had thrown up and then jumped in to get cleaned up. It took all my will power to go upstairs and check - I opened both bedroom doors - Jessi isn't in her bed but there is no sign of puke and no smell. I gently open the bathroom door and Jessi is in the tub. I say, "What are you doing?" (I can't decide if this is hysterically funny or truly scary) - she says "I don't know - I must have sleep walked" Right now despite the obvious scary consequences I have to say that the look on her face and her "I don't know" is still cracking me up - but then I am still a little sleep deprived!!
Then to top off my evening - my washing machine went on the fritz!! It gave me an error code but we have lost the book and I can't look it up because - no internet ( I seriously live a 21st century lifestyle!!)
Tonight however - my house is clean - thanks to Heather, we had delicious dinner - thanks to Heather, baskets are way ahead of schedule - thanks to awesome volunteers and Heather :). And I have exhausted my limited talent in plumbing, nursing, whatever area of expertise it takes to fix a washing machine that is giving you an error code and you don't know the code :), and pseudo carpentry ( I fixed the loose, about to fall apart chair this afternoon - pseudo because it is an IKEA chair so it doesn't really take much carpentry - ir any! Might have been more humorous had I left it however!!)
The end of the week can not possible be as exciting as the beginning but I better head to bed just in case...
Thursday, March 18, 2010
An uneventful day in the life of the Moores!
I was trying to figure out what to write about today - it seems like nothing exciting, odd, unusual happened today. Then I realized why...
Yesterday was a pretty uneventful day as well - the usual - Timothy threw a banana down the stairs and then retrieved it, and he and Nathan filled Sadie's water with the now mushed banana, a few legos and a hamburger bun. As an extension of the previous day's water exploits Timothy discovered that he could take a cup from the toy dishes and fill it at the sink. He spent about 30 minutes going into the bathroom filling the cup and bringing it out to the play table, sitting down and drinking it. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Shockingly there were only a few drops of water on the floor.
So all was well - I even got a workout in at the gym during Kids' Club and City Lights last night. Then as I was leaving I got the voicemail from Renee (the leader of Kids' Club) - Jordan had pooped in her pants. UGH!! Not sure why this was so hard for me but it was. I feel like some days we take one step forward to take two steps back. And Jordie had been doing so well. And I felt badly for Renee - Kids' Club is for K-4th graders - worrying about poopy pants should not be part of her job!!! (Thank you Renee for being so awesome about it)
Then we got halfway home and Bethany cries out "where are my glasses?" City Lights had gone out to pick up trash in the wooded area near the church and she somehow had lost them. To which my reaction was "How can your glasses possibly fall off your face while you are wearing them and you NOT notice?????" But Bethany was pretty upset by having lost them so I realized patience and compassion were a better path. ( and yes - I still don't get it - but first of all she is truly my artsy kid - very smart, very responsible and yet somehow flighty in the midst of that!! Secondly, she has convergence insufficiency (her eyes don't face straight ahead) and is only very very slightly near slighted - she has the glasses to strengthen her eyes more than correct her vision)
So we head home grab a flashlight and Bethany looks for about a half hour with no success.
Which brings me to why today was uneventful (you were wondering where I was going, weren't you?) Brenda very very kindly took Nathan and Timothy for me this morning and Dawn and Jay very generously helped me spend the morning unsuccessfully looking for Bethany's glasses in the woods!! At least it was a gorgeous, warm day - perfect for being in a lightly wooded area searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack. So the real reason it was uneventful is that I didn't have the kids a huge chunk of the day (my parents take Timothy and Jordan on Thurs afternoon/evenings) However I can only imagine the blog entry I would be writing had I take Timothy and Nathan to look for Bethany's glasses this morning - that one might have ended up with a trip to the ER. Of course the flip side to my morning is that Timothy was apparently perfectly angelic for Brenda so she now doubts all my tales of his behavior :) It's all an act for you, Brenda, I promise :)
The best part of the day - we got a call in the late afternoon that the homeschool coop that uses our church went for a walk and FOUND Bethany's glasses!!! Not sure how we could have missed them this morning and they found them this afternoon but I am very very grateful!!!
Tomorrow should be another interesting day since Jordan is have a CT scan (to try and figure out why she gets chronic sinus infections and if surgery can help) and can't eat or drink all morning. That should be interesting - how do you tell a hungry/thirsty five year old with DS they can't eat or drink? I think I might just put her in the car and drive around MPLS for four hours :)
Yesterday was a pretty uneventful day as well - the usual - Timothy threw a banana down the stairs and then retrieved it, and he and Nathan filled Sadie's water with the now mushed banana, a few legos and a hamburger bun. As an extension of the previous day's water exploits Timothy discovered that he could take a cup from the toy dishes and fill it at the sink. He spent about 30 minutes going into the bathroom filling the cup and bringing it out to the play table, sitting down and drinking it. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Shockingly there were only a few drops of water on the floor.
So all was well - I even got a workout in at the gym during Kids' Club and City Lights last night. Then as I was leaving I got the voicemail from Renee (the leader of Kids' Club) - Jordan had pooped in her pants. UGH!! Not sure why this was so hard for me but it was. I feel like some days we take one step forward to take two steps back. And Jordie had been doing so well. And I felt badly for Renee - Kids' Club is for K-4th graders - worrying about poopy pants should not be part of her job!!! (Thank you Renee for being so awesome about it)
Then we got halfway home and Bethany cries out "where are my glasses?" City Lights had gone out to pick up trash in the wooded area near the church and she somehow had lost them. To which my reaction was "How can your glasses possibly fall off your face while you are wearing them and you NOT notice?????" But Bethany was pretty upset by having lost them so I realized patience and compassion were a better path. ( and yes - I still don't get it - but first of all she is truly my artsy kid - very smart, very responsible and yet somehow flighty in the midst of that!! Secondly, she has convergence insufficiency (her eyes don't face straight ahead) and is only very very slightly near slighted - she has the glasses to strengthen her eyes more than correct her vision)
So we head home grab a flashlight and Bethany looks for about a half hour with no success.
Which brings me to why today was uneventful (you were wondering where I was going, weren't you?) Brenda very very kindly took Nathan and Timothy for me this morning and Dawn and Jay very generously helped me spend the morning unsuccessfully looking for Bethany's glasses in the woods!! At least it was a gorgeous, warm day - perfect for being in a lightly wooded area searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack. So the real reason it was uneventful is that I didn't have the kids a huge chunk of the day (my parents take Timothy and Jordan on Thurs afternoon/evenings) However I can only imagine the blog entry I would be writing had I take Timothy and Nathan to look for Bethany's glasses this morning - that one might have ended up with a trip to the ER. Of course the flip side to my morning is that Timothy was apparently perfectly angelic for Brenda so she now doubts all my tales of his behavior :) It's all an act for you, Brenda, I promise :)
The best part of the day - we got a call in the late afternoon that the homeschool coop that uses our church went for a walk and FOUND Bethany's glasses!!! Not sure how we could have missed them this morning and they found them this afternoon but I am very very grateful!!!
Tomorrow should be another interesting day since Jordan is have a CT scan (to try and figure out why she gets chronic sinus infections and if surgery can help) and can't eat or drink all morning. That should be interesting - how do you tell a hungry/thirsty five year old with DS they can't eat or drink? I think I might just put her in the car and drive around MPLS for four hours :)
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
My sink runneth over
Sonny, JJ and Bethany replaced our upstairs bathroom faucet over the weekend. We used to have one that you had to pull up and it was really hard to do, Jordan couldn't get it by herself. In the interest of her independence we wanted an easier one. The old one had been missing it's stopper for years (this is an important fact as you will see :)). When they took apart the sink they found two toothbrushes and a screwdriver down the drain!
This new faucet has set Jordan and Timothy on a new hygiene crusade the last couple of days. They can both turn the water on and off and have washed their hands and brushed their teeth more times than I can count! This morning everyone else had left for school and Timothy wandered into the bathroom where I heard the water get turned on. No big deal - I was sitting in the living room working on the computer and calling my dad. I could hear what was going on so I figured if he was in trouble I would know it. All my toddlers have loved to play in the water and it's water - how much damage can it do? As I am talking to my dad, Tater comes out a little dripping (he was concerned his new Thomas shirt - thanks Dawn - was wet) but not enough to worry about.
I got off the phone and Sesame Street was about to come on - good time to go take my shower so I figure I better turn off the water and close the bathroom door. Uh yeah - with the new hardware the stopper that was missing before is no longer gone and apparently quite fascinating to Timothy. The stopper was in and water was pouring over the edge of the sink down the vent underneath. Th upstairs bathroom wasn't too badly flooded (due to the vent) but when I went downstairs I could have almost taken a shower without turning on the shower!!
So the big question - which is worse toothbrushes down my drain or water flooding through the vents? Hmm - prior to kids I never thought I would ponder these questions of the universe!!!
This new faucet has set Jordan and Timothy on a new hygiene crusade the last couple of days. They can both turn the water on and off and have washed their hands and brushed their teeth more times than I can count! This morning everyone else had left for school and Timothy wandered into the bathroom where I heard the water get turned on. No big deal - I was sitting in the living room working on the computer and calling my dad. I could hear what was going on so I figured if he was in trouble I would know it. All my toddlers have loved to play in the water and it's water - how much damage can it do? As I am talking to my dad, Tater comes out a little dripping (he was concerned his new Thomas shirt - thanks Dawn - was wet) but not enough to worry about.
I got off the phone and Sesame Street was about to come on - good time to go take my shower so I figure I better turn off the water and close the bathroom door. Uh yeah - with the new hardware the stopper that was missing before is no longer gone and apparently quite fascinating to Timothy. The stopper was in and water was pouring over the edge of the sink down the vent underneath. Th upstairs bathroom wasn't too badly flooded (due to the vent) but when I went downstairs I could have almost taken a shower without turning on the shower!!
So the big question - which is worse toothbrushes down my drain or water flooding through the vents? Hmm - prior to kids I never thought I would ponder these questions of the universe!!!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Naps appear to have left the building
He finally did it. Timothy can now climb out of his crib. I am surprised it took this long since he truly is my little monkey - could climb any and everything from the time he was about 7 months old but up until about three days ago he had chosen to stay in his crib. The honeymoon is over.
The other day JJ heard an odd banging and opened the door to Timothy standing there.
Yesterday Jessi came up to tell me that she thought Timothy was out of his crib - I was putting away groceries and said I would check in a minute. A couple minutes later up the stairs comes Tater - very proud of himself for his achievement of both climbing out of the crib and getting out of the shut door. I don't think he was so amused that my reaction was to pick him up and stick him back in his crib.
At the moment I am listening to him scream - he screamed when I put him down, it got quiet and then I heard the thumping of the rocking chair against the wall. Once again he is not amused that my reaction was to pick him up and plop him back in his crib!! What kind of mom am I anyway that I reward all the effort of escaping the crib to put him back in the very place he ecaped from??
I am pretty sure he is out again but maybe he will find a nice corner to curl up and go to sleep in :) JJ spent the first few nights of his big boy bed sleeping in the closet, under the bed and in the corner - it was a guessing game to find him - he did eventually decide that the bed was more comfortable. However in Timothy's case I think it is more likely pigs will fly before he falls asleep!!
Oh well, naps were nice while they lasted!!
The other day JJ heard an odd banging and opened the door to Timothy standing there.
Yesterday Jessi came up to tell me that she thought Timothy was out of his crib - I was putting away groceries and said I would check in a minute. A couple minutes later up the stairs comes Tater - very proud of himself for his achievement of both climbing out of the crib and getting out of the shut door. I don't think he was so amused that my reaction was to pick him up and stick him back in his crib.
At the moment I am listening to him scream - he screamed when I put him down, it got quiet and then I heard the thumping of the rocking chair against the wall. Once again he is not amused that my reaction was to pick him up and plop him back in his crib!! What kind of mom am I anyway that I reward all the effort of escaping the crib to put him back in the very place he ecaped from??
I am pretty sure he is out again but maybe he will find a nice corner to curl up and go to sleep in :) JJ spent the first few nights of his big boy bed sleeping in the closet, under the bed and in the corner - it was a guessing game to find him - he did eventually decide that the bed was more comfortable. However in Timothy's case I think it is more likely pigs will fly before he falls asleep!!
Oh well, naps were nice while they lasted!!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Ahhh rain!!!
This morning was an awesome, wonderful, beautiful rainy morning. Yes is was horribly overcast and only 40 degrees but spring is coming - it was even a complete downpour, thunderstorm for a while. And for about an hour Nathan and Timothy played really well and I sat curled up on the couch reading. Amazing!!!!
This has been an a emotionally trying week for a lot of reasons (among them we had to say good-bye to Jordie's speech teacher today who we LOVE - she is leaving our therapy place) and that hour of pouring rain was a little oasis in my week!!
This has been an a emotionally trying week for a lot of reasons (among them we had to say good-bye to Jordie's speech teacher today who we LOVE - she is leaving our therapy place) and that hour of pouring rain was a little oasis in my week!!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Melt Down Day turns to peaceful evening :)
When Bethany was a baby I came up with a mantra to make it through the tough moments - "At some point they will all be asleep - it might not be soon, it might not be today but eventually they will all be asleep at the same time!" Given that JJ was a terrible sleeper and Bethany was a screamer - it was a valid mantra. I still live by that to some extent but now it has changed more to the knowledge that after all the melt downs life will come around to the laughter :)
Tonight after dinner Jessi decided to practice her lyrical dance - which was a great idea - except that she had to practice while dancing over the dog, Nathan crawling under her feet and Timothy trying to join in. But Jessi went with the flow and Bethany arrived home and they all danced together, or some form of movement, for the next half hour. Peaceful - maybe not by dictionary standards - but for sure by my standards. When there are six kids in the house, all enjoying each other's company and having fun - can't get much more peaceful than that - even if it is a loud peaceful :)
Oh - and JJ's eye is fine - just inflamed from the injury which is causing blurriness which should resolve as the eye heals - no damage!!
Tonight after dinner Jessi decided to practice her lyrical dance - which was a great idea - except that she had to practice while dancing over the dog, Nathan crawling under her feet and Timothy trying to join in. But Jessi went with the flow and Bethany arrived home and they all danced together, or some form of movement, for the next half hour. Peaceful - maybe not by dictionary standards - but for sure by my standards. When there are six kids in the house, all enjoying each other's company and having fun - can't get much more peaceful than that - even if it is a loud peaceful :)
Oh - and JJ's eye is fine - just inflamed from the injury which is causing blurriness which should resolve as the eye heals - no damage!!
Melt Down Day
It's pouring rain and apparently my kids sentiments are echoing the weather. I actually am LOVING this weather - spring is coming!! YAY - I can actually see to get out of my driveway!!!
The morning was fine (okay I am a little groggy from staying out with soccer board friends too late after our meeting :)) but still breakfast at Ikea with Heather is always a good start to the day. And then both boys fell asleep on the way home - which never happens but I was pretty psyched that they did because we had an eye dr appt at 2:30 for JJ. JJ managed to get hit in the eye with a finger playing bball sun morning. He was okay Sun, Mon we noticed a bloodshot spot and then yesterday his vision was blurry in that eye. So in we headed.
I should have know that my day was taking a turn for the worse when I went to get Jordan off the bus and I could see in the window of the bus that she was crying. Usually she sees me and gets a big grin and waves. I met her at the door and she said "cheek" and started sobbing. We came inside and she curled up in my lap and sobbed. All I could get was that Joshua hit her cheek. (which is HUGE that she could name another kid and tell me what happened - but still broke my heart) She said it was an accident but these are one of those things that I don't know if she actually knows what an accident is or not.
After 45 minutes of on and off crying (I don't remember her ever doing this before!!) I called the school to try and talk to her para or teacher to try and figure out what happened. Apparently her para was out sick - I think Jordan has just had enough this week. Her dance teacher was gone this week - so there was a sub. Daddy is home - which is great but he has been traveling a lot and she was home with him the last couple of nights - she loves it but it throws off her routine which can be hard for her. So I think she just needed some of the expected to happen - not the unexpected.
I know that taking Jordan, Nathan and Timothy to a dr appt is never exactly fun - esp since this wasn't a ped appt - because it was a last minute appt it was with their general opthamologist at their non - kid friendly office. The fact it was during nap time did not help. We come in and they hand me stacks of paperwork to fill out (on a side note this irritates me since three of my other kids are patients there - can't they pull family info - come on we live in the 21st century, half the info I had given on the phone already as well!) Nathan decides it is time to start screaming at the top of his lungs. Timothy and Jordan think they are in Disneyland since the whole place is full of eye glass frames at counter height (did I mention it isn't kid friendly???) I tell Timothy and Jordan to sit down but they are both too worked up so Jordan just refuses and Timothy keeps jumping up. So I grab Timothy and hold onto him - against his wishes, by his jacket with the same arm I am using to hold onto Nathan, who screams if I put him down even so he is standing between my legs. Finally I put both boys down and let them scream for three minutes while I scribble out the medical history!! Sorry - everyone else who was there!! Get it done - bring up Wiggles on the IPod and manage to get them reasonably under control!! We did get called back almost immediately (maybe there is a rainbow to the screaming!!) The rest of the appt was okay - Jordan still was out of sorts and upset because she is used to being the one in "the chair" but we made it!! And of course they asked me all the medical history questions that I had had to fill out while letting the two boys scream - WHY? WHY? WHY?? Either verbally ask me or have me fill it out - WHY BOTH - with screaming toddlers??????
So can I just say that right now a quiet afternoon at home for the rest of the day is looking really, really good? I don't even care if it is quiet - it is in the confines of my own home - they can do whatever they want as far as I am concerned - I am home and I can see my muddy yard peeking through!!! Those two things alone are redeeming my day even as I write this!! :)
The morning was fine (okay I am a little groggy from staying out with soccer board friends too late after our meeting :)) but still breakfast at Ikea with Heather is always a good start to the day. And then both boys fell asleep on the way home - which never happens but I was pretty psyched that they did because we had an eye dr appt at 2:30 for JJ. JJ managed to get hit in the eye with a finger playing bball sun morning. He was okay Sun, Mon we noticed a bloodshot spot and then yesterday his vision was blurry in that eye. So in we headed.
I should have know that my day was taking a turn for the worse when I went to get Jordan off the bus and I could see in the window of the bus that she was crying. Usually she sees me and gets a big grin and waves. I met her at the door and she said "cheek" and started sobbing. We came inside and she curled up in my lap and sobbed. All I could get was that Joshua hit her cheek. (which is HUGE that she could name another kid and tell me what happened - but still broke my heart) She said it was an accident but these are one of those things that I don't know if she actually knows what an accident is or not.
After 45 minutes of on and off crying (I don't remember her ever doing this before!!) I called the school to try and talk to her para or teacher to try and figure out what happened. Apparently her para was out sick - I think Jordan has just had enough this week. Her dance teacher was gone this week - so there was a sub. Daddy is home - which is great but he has been traveling a lot and she was home with him the last couple of nights - she loves it but it throws off her routine which can be hard for her. So I think she just needed some of the expected to happen - not the unexpected.
I know that taking Jordan, Nathan and Timothy to a dr appt is never exactly fun - esp since this wasn't a ped appt - because it was a last minute appt it was with their general opthamologist at their non - kid friendly office. The fact it was during nap time did not help. We come in and they hand me stacks of paperwork to fill out (on a side note this irritates me since three of my other kids are patients there - can't they pull family info - come on we live in the 21st century, half the info I had given on the phone already as well!) Nathan decides it is time to start screaming at the top of his lungs. Timothy and Jordan think they are in Disneyland since the whole place is full of eye glass frames at counter height (did I mention it isn't kid friendly???) I tell Timothy and Jordan to sit down but they are both too worked up so Jordan just refuses and Timothy keeps jumping up. So I grab Timothy and hold onto him - against his wishes, by his jacket with the same arm I am using to hold onto Nathan, who screams if I put him down even so he is standing between my legs. Finally I put both boys down and let them scream for three minutes while I scribble out the medical history!! Sorry - everyone else who was there!! Get it done - bring up Wiggles on the IPod and manage to get them reasonably under control!! We did get called back almost immediately (maybe there is a rainbow to the screaming!!) The rest of the appt was okay - Jordan still was out of sorts and upset because she is used to being the one in "the chair" but we made it!! And of course they asked me all the medical history questions that I had had to fill out while letting the two boys scream - WHY? WHY? WHY?? Either verbally ask me or have me fill it out - WHY BOTH - with screaming toddlers??????
So can I just say that right now a quiet afternoon at home for the rest of the day is looking really, really good? I don't even care if it is quiet - it is in the confines of my own home - they can do whatever they want as far as I am concerned - I am home and I can see my muddy yard peeking through!!! Those two things alone are redeeming my day even as I write this!! :)
Monday, March 8, 2010
Make that Powdered Sugar and Soap
Apparently powdered sugar wasn't enough for the morning. Nathan and Timothy threw the water and dog food around the kitchen - so that floor is now sticky, crunchy and wet. Then Timothy thought that baby shampoo should be sprinkled around the living room. So now that is an ice skating rink (another lesson in cause and effect learned this morning - when you have dumped soap all over a wood floor and then you want to get to mom - you fall about ten times getting there!!)
My lessons - dog food and water clean up pretty well - powdered sugar and soap - not so great - we are on about five clean up tries for both of those floors - still sticky and slick!!! :)
My lessons - dog food and water clean up pretty well - powdered sugar and soap - not so great - we are on about five clean up tries for both of those floors - still sticky and slick!!! :)
Powdered Sugar Morning
Timothy decided to say good-bye to Jordan this morning by pulling a full bag of powdered sugar off the counter and dumping it all over the floor!! And then wondered why I wouldn't let him help clean it up by eating it!! So I learned two things this morning - first powdered sugar, even a whole bag, dissolves with hot water down the drain (I hope - I'll let you know later if my sink backs up) and even after cleaning it up and wiping the floor with a wet rag my feet still stick to the the kitchen!
Timothy has learned three things this morning - dumping powdered sugar does not mean you get to eat it - you just get kicked out of the kitchen by a frustrated mommy. And in another exploit - American Girl scooter helmets do not fit on toddler heads and when you then ride recklessly on that scooter (yes the one that is designed for dolls not toddlers) and crash you hurt your head!! At least he had the right idea in wanting the helmet on!
We are off to Target to see what destruction Timothy and Nathan can cause there - it is always entertainment with the two of them - at least Jordie is in school for this trip!!
Timothy has learned three things this morning - dumping powdered sugar does not mean you get to eat it - you just get kicked out of the kitchen by a frustrated mommy. And in another exploit - American Girl scooter helmets do not fit on toddler heads and when you then ride recklessly on that scooter (yes the one that is designed for dolls not toddlers) and crash you hurt your head!! At least he had the right idea in wanting the helmet on!
We are off to Target to see what destruction Timothy and Nathan can cause there - it is always entertainment with the two of them - at least Jordie is in school for this trip!!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
TWO HOURS EARLY? The shortest competition experience we will probably ever have!!
Any of you that know me know I can be pretty flexible - but I like to have a plan. I am fine with plan B or C, sometimes we even get to plan Z. Sonny travels a lot unexpectantly for his job. It isn't that unusual for me to get a phone call or e-mail asking if it's a problem for him to be on a plane to x, y or z by that afternoon. Or to get one asking how much it would affect me if he didn't come home when expected. So I pretty much have a contigency plan in mind at all times :)
But today threw in a while new loop. We had JJ's bball tournament this weekend and Bethany's first dance competition. Bethany actually only had one routine because it was for a routine she was originally an alternate for and then got placed on the team. Her team competes later in the season!! Any of you in dance know that you find out the schedule the week of the competition. And the bball tourney schedule was all based on what games they won or lost. So based on those two things, and Sonny being ice fishing, I had about thirteen contingency plans for today. If JJ won and won then this would happen, if he lost and won then this, if he won and lost then this - you get the picture.
Bethany was supposed to dance at 4:34pm this afternoon. DanceXchange requires their dancers to be there 1.5 hours early - makes complete sense in case something goes wrong. I realized this morning if JJ won and played the 1:25 game I could actually watch it and even though it would be cutting it close we could still make it to Northrup by 3pm, as long as Bethany was dressed, make up and hair done before the game.
For once in my life I have to say - good thing JJ's team lost.
Because of that loss JJ played at 3:45 and his best friend's family was wonderful about helping out. So at 1:45 I was headed to pick up Jenna (one of the amazing 15 year olds at our studio) who was coming with me to help with Timothy, Jordan and Evelyn (Karla's cutie). My cell phone rings and it's Karla calling from the competition. She is calling to tell me they are running early and I say - no prob I am pickign up Jenna now and we are headed to the competition - we'll be there by 2:30 - earlier than what should have been necessary. I hang up thinking - "whew glad I am not watching JJ's game since there is no reception in the gym" - assuming the competition is like a half hour early.
So off we head to the U - as we are driving way further than I think we should be and I am about to call Karla (who has warned me the directions were goofed up) when she calls.
"Umm - I am just checking how close you guys are?" (keep in mind this is about 2:30 and Bethany is supposed to dance at 4:30!!!)
"we are on University but I think we went too far - wait - they aren't running TWO HOURS ahead are they????"
"uh - yeah!!"
Good grief!!! So we turn around take some scenic route back, almost run a red light, miss the turn because it isn't actually a turn, turn around, take some odd back streets, miss the next turn, start to pull into the parking garage, pull a u-turn and finally pull up in front!! ( Sorry Brenda - I promise I told Jenna not use my driving today as an example!!! :) Bethany by this time actually has her jazz shoes on under her tennis shoes. Bethany, Jessi, Jenna and Jordan jump out of the car and run into the building,
Next problem - Karla has already warned me that parking is a nightmare but I decide to try the garage right there - at this point I really could not care less how much is costs I just want to get parked and make it in to see her perform - I had warned her I didn't know if I would make it. As I pull into the garage I think "wait - I have Jordan - I can park in handicapped!" no luck! UGH - I drive to the next level - and miracle of miracles - there is a spot about four spots away from the elevator!! YAY!! I grab Timothy and we run for it!!
Usually when you walk into a competition there is a check in desk and they direct you to your dressing room. No check in desk, no one I know - ugh!!! I take a deep breath and think - I knwo Jenna is with her and can help her get her lashes on (the only thing she still needs to do) and I know Karla saw us pull up - so I am pretty confident she is where she is supposed to be. Jenna is amazing so I know she can handle Jordan. I really want Bethany to know I am there but I decide the best thing is to head towards the noise and just watch so I don't miss her.
I got to the back of the auditorium and ran into a couple DanceXchange mom's who offer to direct me to the dressing room but I am worried about missing the dance. I have just decided to go try to find Bethany when I look in and they come on stage!! YAY - didn't miss them!! And just to brag for a minute - Bethany blew me away that she could get on stage ten minutes after being thrown out of the car after being lost, and have that much composure!! Go girl!!! I was so proud of her!
You would think that would be it - but afterwards I walked up and down like 8 flights of stairs (carrying Timothy I might add) trying to find her and Jenna, Jessi and Jordan. Finally I found the three Js and Karla and Evelyn in the back corner of the auditorium and they knew Bethany had come in with her team to watch the next DanceXchange dance. Finally I saw her get up and went and told her I had actually seen her dance. She was pretty close to tears because she was certain I hadn't made it!! Not the greatest feeling to know she had had to go onstage thinking I wasn't out there but all's well that end's well.
The final time count? We were actually driving back into Eden Prairie at 4:34 - AFTER having sat through the awards ceremony!! CRAZY!!!! Bethany had dance 15 minutes before we were even supposed to have arrived!! By 5:30, when the awards ceremony was scheduled to start we were driving into our driveway, after takign Jenna home and stopping at the bookstore!! Thank God that He knew it was going to happen and put things in place for us to get there!!! JJ lost the game, it wasn't my first competition (that would have sent me over the deep end I think :)), Jenna was with us so I knew I could just drop Jenna at the door and Bethany was all ready to go before we got there!!! Just keeping things spicey - wouldn't want life to be boring and predictable!! Pretty sure we will never have another competition experience that we are there for only two hours, compete and awards within that time!!! And new note to self - contigency plans must include dance competitions running shockingly early!!
But today threw in a while new loop. We had JJ's bball tournament this weekend and Bethany's first dance competition. Bethany actually only had one routine because it was for a routine she was originally an alternate for and then got placed on the team. Her team competes later in the season!! Any of you in dance know that you find out the schedule the week of the competition. And the bball tourney schedule was all based on what games they won or lost. So based on those two things, and Sonny being ice fishing, I had about thirteen contingency plans for today. If JJ won and won then this would happen, if he lost and won then this, if he won and lost then this - you get the picture.
Bethany was supposed to dance at 4:34pm this afternoon. DanceXchange requires their dancers to be there 1.5 hours early - makes complete sense in case something goes wrong. I realized this morning if JJ won and played the 1:25 game I could actually watch it and even though it would be cutting it close we could still make it to Northrup by 3pm, as long as Bethany was dressed, make up and hair done before the game.
For once in my life I have to say - good thing JJ's team lost.
Because of that loss JJ played at 3:45 and his best friend's family was wonderful about helping out. So at 1:45 I was headed to pick up Jenna (one of the amazing 15 year olds at our studio) who was coming with me to help with Timothy, Jordan and Evelyn (Karla's cutie). My cell phone rings and it's Karla calling from the competition. She is calling to tell me they are running early and I say - no prob I am pickign up Jenna now and we are headed to the competition - we'll be there by 2:30 - earlier than what should have been necessary. I hang up thinking - "whew glad I am not watching JJ's game since there is no reception in the gym" - assuming the competition is like a half hour early.
So off we head to the U - as we are driving way further than I think we should be and I am about to call Karla (who has warned me the directions were goofed up) when she calls.
"Umm - I am just checking how close you guys are?" (keep in mind this is about 2:30 and Bethany is supposed to dance at 4:30!!!)
"we are on University but I think we went too far - wait - they aren't running TWO HOURS ahead are they????"
"uh - yeah!!"
Good grief!!! So we turn around take some scenic route back, almost run a red light, miss the turn because it isn't actually a turn, turn around, take some odd back streets, miss the next turn, start to pull into the parking garage, pull a u-turn and finally pull up in front!! ( Sorry Brenda - I promise I told Jenna not use my driving today as an example!!! :) Bethany by this time actually has her jazz shoes on under her tennis shoes. Bethany, Jessi, Jenna and Jordan jump out of the car and run into the building,
Next problem - Karla has already warned me that parking is a nightmare but I decide to try the garage right there - at this point I really could not care less how much is costs I just want to get parked and make it in to see her perform - I had warned her I didn't know if I would make it. As I pull into the garage I think "wait - I have Jordan - I can park in handicapped!" no luck! UGH - I drive to the next level - and miracle of miracles - there is a spot about four spots away from the elevator!! YAY!! I grab Timothy and we run for it!!
Usually when you walk into a competition there is a check in desk and they direct you to your dressing room. No check in desk, no one I know - ugh!!! I take a deep breath and think - I knwo Jenna is with her and can help her get her lashes on (the only thing she still needs to do) and I know Karla saw us pull up - so I am pretty confident she is where she is supposed to be. Jenna is amazing so I know she can handle Jordan. I really want Bethany to know I am there but I decide the best thing is to head towards the noise and just watch so I don't miss her.
I got to the back of the auditorium and ran into a couple DanceXchange mom's who offer to direct me to the dressing room but I am worried about missing the dance. I have just decided to go try to find Bethany when I look in and they come on stage!! YAY - didn't miss them!! And just to brag for a minute - Bethany blew me away that she could get on stage ten minutes after being thrown out of the car after being lost, and have that much composure!! Go girl!!! I was so proud of her!
You would think that would be it - but afterwards I walked up and down like 8 flights of stairs (carrying Timothy I might add) trying to find her and Jenna, Jessi and Jordan. Finally I found the three Js and Karla and Evelyn in the back corner of the auditorium and they knew Bethany had come in with her team to watch the next DanceXchange dance. Finally I saw her get up and went and told her I had actually seen her dance. She was pretty close to tears because she was certain I hadn't made it!! Not the greatest feeling to know she had had to go onstage thinking I wasn't out there but all's well that end's well.
The final time count? We were actually driving back into Eden Prairie at 4:34 - AFTER having sat through the awards ceremony!! CRAZY!!!! Bethany had dance 15 minutes before we were even supposed to have arrived!! By 5:30, when the awards ceremony was scheduled to start we were driving into our driveway, after takign Jenna home and stopping at the bookstore!! Thank God that He knew it was going to happen and put things in place for us to get there!!! JJ lost the game, it wasn't my first competition (that would have sent me over the deep end I think :)), Jenna was with us so I knew I could just drop Jenna at the door and Bethany was all ready to go before we got there!!! Just keeping things spicey - wouldn't want life to be boring and predictable!! Pretty sure we will never have another competition experience that we are there for only two hours, compete and awards within that time!!! And new note to self - contigency plans must include dance competitions running shockingly early!!
Friday, March 5, 2010
I have become THAT mother...
I think it's official - I have become THAT mother
the one I used to roll my eyes at
the one I claimed I would never become.
Which should teach me a lesson about being too judgmental!! But then my opinions and judgments getting me in trouble could probably be a whole book by itself.
When my oldest one was in preaschool, JJ's teacher used to send home "what we did today" slips every day. There would often be a note reminding parents they had forgotten to do x, y and z. I used think, "good grief, how hard is it to get that done" How naive I was - I am now THAT mom - the one who forgot it was her 8 year old's star of the week this year!!
Before I had kids I swore no kid would ever sleep with me - that lasted about 48 hours into parenting my first child. JJ was the perfect baby BUT he never slept. Now the rule is that when they turn five no more sleeping with me. Well it was until Jordan. Right now I would just as soon she come down and climb in bed with me halfway through the night so I am not us at 5am discovering what she has gotten into! Yes - I am THAT mom!
JJ and Bethany and Jessi never used to leave the house in clothes that didn't match or gasp - were on backwards or inside out. And no child could go to bed in pajamas that didn't match!!! Now as long as my kids have on clothes I am pretty much happy (and the pjs ?- half the time Jordan just puts on a new outfit of clothing :)). This is a combination of deciding that if they are wearing season appropriate clothing we are winning the battle, they are expressing their personality, and that I want to celebrate every victory with Jordan - if she picked out her own clothes and they are covering her body appropriately I am not going to squash her success by insisting on "fixing" it so her shirt is on frontwards and her pants are right side out and her shoes are on the right feet. I never understood the awesomeness of this acheivement before. And Jordan has designated herself to get Timothy's clothes for me every morning - which is actually one big sister job she can do!! So know when you see my kids less then perfectly put together - know that I have become THAT mom!
Some moms can tell you all the ins and outs and information about their kids therapies - I can tell you that Jordan goes to therapy! She has great therapists - that's their job to know how to teach her. So while other moms watch eagerly during their kids' therapy sessions to see how and what is being done. I gladly relax with a book in the car while the boys sleep. Yes - I am THAT mom!!!
I used to believe that if you had five kids it was easy to fall into them parenting each other. And that that was a bad thing. And I would never do it! Famous last words - they do parent each other but it isn't a bad thing - it is an amazing thing!! Sometimes they need to be reminded that I am the mommy, they are the sibling. But for the most part I am watching incredible relationships develop between them, and an incredible sense of confidence in my older kids. So yes I have become THAT mom!!
I used to think that only a terrible, self-absorbed mother could ever forget to pick up her child from the bus - yesterday I became THAT mother.
But before I became THAT mother I never imagined that I would be scheduling CT scan for one kid and delivering stool samples from another all the in the space of an hour, both for medical issues we can't seem to diagnose or correct. And that that would not be out of the ordinary. I am THAT mother in part because my life has become THAT life!! And that is okay because THAT life includes MY kids!!!
Yesterday April made a comment that we have discovered my limits - and yes I think she is right. I guess five and half kids is where I have reached my ability to keep schedules straight on a day that isn't "normal", to have reached the point of wanting to crawl back in bed after two drs appts and three conferences with all the little ones in tow. By yesterday afternoon I was done with Jordan's defiance, Timothy's screaming and Nathan's whining!
Somedays it is hard not to be frustrated that I have been in toddlerhood for sooooo long - it seems so endless!!! And sometimes hopeless. Developmentally Jordan is about 2-3 years old so I currently care for three toddlers. Have I mentioned I am not really a toddler person to begin with? For the most part Timothy is in the fun stages of toddlerhood - except when he is screaming! And when he is surpassing Jordan developmentally which is hard to see! But I am not a mom who wants her children dependent on me - my goal is to teach independence!!!
One of the benefits of five and half kids (and probably my older age :)) is that I have reached the place that I can laugh at myself for being THAT mom!! :) I am comfortable with who I am as a mom. I have accepted who I am - my house will never be spotless - or even completely picked up, I will be the mom in jeans and a sweatshirt, and as much as I am their mother- my kids and I are a team to get through days like yesterday!! I make mistakes every day and I aologize to my kids when I let them down and at the end of the day I know they know I love them!! I know they know I will be there for them and I love being with them - even after days like yesterday :) When I look at my kids and I think of all we have come through and will still face - I know it is okay that I am THAT mom!!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Flushing the toilet
Hmmm - I think Jordan has gotten too smart - I have started telling her she has to poop to get chocolate (after she pees three times in a hour in order to get a piece) and suddenly she has miraculously learned the art of flushing the toilet - but only after I have said you have to poop to get chocolate, not just pee - hmmm - wonder if she is hiding the evidence that wasn't there so I have to take her word!!
And is this something I celebrate or mourn? The crazy twisted lives we live as special needs parents :)
And is this something I celebrate or mourn? The crazy twisted lives we live as special needs parents :)
The Terrible Twos Myth
Why do they call it the terrible twos? This has always been a mystery to me!! I can't tell you how many parents I have talked to that think they are getting through the terrible twos only to be shocked by the even more challenging threes!! I always say that the twos they are exploring their world, the threes they are exploring their defiance. But the flip side to that is the number of people who say "my 18 month is already in the terrible twos"
Yup - pretty much right where we are!!!
This morning after getting spanked for dumping out the fourth cup of coffee in two days Timothy decided to participate in his other favorite activity - throwing toys over the railing to the landing. (Are you sensing the trend of destruction here - liquids dumped out, toys thrown every where - oh yeah we are definitely in the destructive phase!!)
Timothy thinks this throwing activity is the best - and laughs with every toss. His mom finds it less so - as does whatever sibling's turn it is to clean the landing!! So today after the fourth or fifth throw and having been told "no" more than once I told him that if he threw what he had in his hand over the railing he would get spanked. He looked at me, his eyes twinkled mischievously and he purposefully turned and threw!! Then quickly covered his bottom with his hands and sat down!!
Uh-huh - all you people out there wondering how much a 20 month old understands? I am here to answer the question - EVERYTHING!!!! :)
Yup - pretty much right where we are!!!
This morning after getting spanked for dumping out the fourth cup of coffee in two days Timothy decided to participate in his other favorite activity - throwing toys over the railing to the landing. (Are you sensing the trend of destruction here - liquids dumped out, toys thrown every where - oh yeah we are definitely in the destructive phase!!)
Timothy thinks this throwing activity is the best - and laughs with every toss. His mom finds it less so - as does whatever sibling's turn it is to clean the landing!! So today after the fourth or fifth throw and having been told "no" more than once I told him that if he threw what he had in his hand over the railing he would get spanked. He looked at me, his eyes twinkled mischievously and he purposefully turned and threw!! Then quickly covered his bottom with his hands and sat down!!
Uh-huh - all you people out there wondering how much a 20 month old understands? I am here to answer the question - EVERYTHING!!!! :)
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Today's roller coaster
This morning was one of those mornings where nothing I touched went right. Timothy dumped every liquid he could find (coffee, milk AND water) all over. Nathan helped by dumping the dog water - twice!! Somehow when I made coffee this morning something went wrong and even though I was standing RIGHT THERE filling the dishwasher I didn't notice the leaking until the entire six cups were all over the counter instead of in the coffee pot! Timothy drew on my book, the dining room table, a chair, - make that two chairs, the floor and the door. Apparently he is following in his sister's footsteps - at least he didn't draw on the dog!! (Yes, Jordan has done this to poor Sadie - in both green marker and red nail polish - and can I ask what kind of dog sits still for that?). I boiled the macaroni dry as I was discovering that I had thrown a Pull Up in the washing machine. (Let me be very clear that Pull Ups and diapers were NEVER meant to go through the wash!!) Fortunately the washing machine seems to have survived and I re-washed all the clothes and seem to have solved the problem! Timothy mixed the basket of clean clothes with the basket of very dirty wet clothes. Guess what that created? ALL dirty clothes! And Jessi came home from school sick!!
But then at dance this afternoon I watched Timothy, Nathan, Bethany and Jordan playing in the lobby. And it is moments like those that are why I LOVE my life so much!! Bethany was giving Timothy and Jordan turns spinning around which would make them each dizzy. Nathan crawled over to join the fun and Jordan ran circles around him which had pretty much the same dizzying effect. Then Karla had the video from Sat dress rehearsal on so Jordan showed off some Jordan hip hop moves, which Timothy sort of tried to emulate in a Timothy bouncing sort of way :) In the midst of all of this Jordan and Timothy were fighting over Nathan's hood - Jordan would put it up and move away to do something and Timothy would come over and pull it down. Then Jordan would realize it was down and run over and put it back up. To which Nathan giggled like crazy, as he tried to keep up with them!! These truly are the precious moments and really they make spilled coffee mean diddly squat!!!
But then at dance this afternoon I watched Timothy, Nathan, Bethany and Jordan playing in the lobby. And it is moments like those that are why I LOVE my life so much!! Bethany was giving Timothy and Jordan turns spinning around which would make them each dizzy. Nathan crawled over to join the fun and Jordan ran circles around him which had pretty much the same dizzying effect. Then Karla had the video from Sat dress rehearsal on so Jordan showed off some Jordan hip hop moves, which Timothy sort of tried to emulate in a Timothy bouncing sort of way :) In the midst of all of this Jordan and Timothy were fighting over Nathan's hood - Jordan would put it up and move away to do something and Timothy would come over and pull it down. Then Jordan would realize it was down and run over and put it back up. To which Nathan giggled like crazy, as he tried to keep up with them!! These truly are the precious moments and really they make spilled coffee mean diddly squat!!!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Timothy - Mr Shy....NOT!!
Friday morning I had a carnival meeting and then needed to distribute a box to each classroom to collect donations for classroom baskets!! Timothy was had a blast. He likes to pretend he is shy, up until a month ago, did the SCREAM every time I left him any where (for twenty seconds until I was out of sight). Friday he completely blew his shy cover!
First we went in the gym to get stuff out of the storage room, Mrs Susan who used to be a para in Bethany's classroom a couple years ago, came over and grabbed him while I got the boxes out and stacked on the cart. So here is this twenty month old toddler playing ball in the middle of a gym of third graders. Then when I went to leave we just stuck him in one of the boxes on the cart where he had a grand old time chilling with his sippy cup. And doing the parade wave to anyone we passed!! Pretty funny.
Then we ran into Mrs Byrne - JJ's first grade teacher - who he ran right up to and she picked him and took him to her class while I dropped off a couple of boxes and chatted with one of the teachers. He jumped back on the cart for a few minutes then realized we were by Jessi classroom so he jumped down and ran in yelling Jessi, Jessi. He ran over to her and completely looked like he was going to join right into the class!!
All in all it took me about twice as long as I expected but I think Timothy made friends with at least half the staff.
Which was great but makes me sad about all the potential changes coming to the EP district. My kids are all Prairie View kids, all the people we talked to have all had one or more of my children in class or have had their own kids on teams with mine - and knew Timothy when he was teeny tiny!! I love that Timothy could go to a school where our family already has a history!! And it makes me sad that all that could get mixed around. But it is what it is!
One quick other note - I met four staff members on Fri all of whom said, "oh you are Jordan's mom! - I just adore her" Apparently my fourth has created quite her own reputation already!!!
First we went in the gym to get stuff out of the storage room, Mrs Susan who used to be a para in Bethany's classroom a couple years ago, came over and grabbed him while I got the boxes out and stacked on the cart. So here is this twenty month old toddler playing ball in the middle of a gym of third graders. Then when I went to leave we just stuck him in one of the boxes on the cart where he had a grand old time chilling with his sippy cup. And doing the parade wave to anyone we passed!! Pretty funny.
Then we ran into Mrs Byrne - JJ's first grade teacher - who he ran right up to and she picked him and took him to her class while I dropped off a couple of boxes and chatted with one of the teachers. He jumped back on the cart for a few minutes then realized we were by Jessi classroom so he jumped down and ran in yelling Jessi, Jessi. He ran over to her and completely looked like he was going to join right into the class!!
All in all it took me about twice as long as I expected but I think Timothy made friends with at least half the staff.
Which was great but makes me sad about all the potential changes coming to the EP district. My kids are all Prairie View kids, all the people we talked to have all had one or more of my children in class or have had their own kids on teams with mine - and knew Timothy when he was teeny tiny!! I love that Timothy could go to a school where our family already has a history!! And it makes me sad that all that could get mixed around. But it is what it is!
One quick other note - I met four staff members on Fri all of whom said, "oh you are Jordan's mom! - I just adore her" Apparently my fourth has created quite her own reputation already!!!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
An encouraging day in the life of Jordan :)
Timothy is amazing me with his speech - both the extent of his vocabulary and his ennuciation. I can't decide if it is that he really speaks that well of if I have become so used to figuring out what Jordan is saying and the length of time it takes her to learn words that Timothy seems ahead of the curve or if he really is. The other option is that we have become so accustomed to translating Jordanese that Timothy seems to be talking early :)
Yesterday was one of the days that in a twisted somewhat frustrated way I was amazed and proud of how far Jordan has come. First after telling her to put her boots on five times as she wandered around with one Dora boot on in her hands I went down to the landing to help her - no other Dora boot.
"Jordan - where are your other boots? - I think you went downstairs when you came in last night"
"yes - they right there" points down the stairs like duh mom!!!
Seems like no big deal right? - except she was trying to follow my directions, had actually located her boots on her own, had determined she wanted to wear different ones AND was looking for them herself, and then clearly understood and communicated her answer - even with age appropriate duh mom inflection!!
After school both boys were napping and I suddenly realized it was WAY too quiet. She has taken to coloring in her bed (sometimes actually on paper - not the sheets and walls) so I wasn't too concerned but I had a nagging feeling I had seen her go in the bathroom. Sure enough I opened the door and got hit full force with the smell of nail polish. Scary part - the glass had broken either when she had tried to open it or it had fallen out of the cupboard- no cuts thought! The encouraging part - Jordan was sitting on the counter (where the girls sit when they use nail polish) and had actually only gotten nail polish on her nails (and some of the surrounding skin) - but not all over herself OR the bathroom!!!!
Later that afternoon when JJ came home we got in a large debate/discussion about how much money I owe him and what he is going to spend it on, donate etc. Let me remind you he is a 12 year old. He is a great kid and I have a wonderful relationship with him BUT he is 12 - and he is as argumentative as his mom. Which I personally quietly like because one of the reasons we have a great relationship is that we fight everything out - everything gets discussed to the end so there are no lingering hurt feelings! Anyway - back to the fact that he is 12 - it was not a quiet conversation. Jordan was sitting quietly on the couch next to me taking it all in. She has some interesting reactions when she knows I am upset with one of the kids or when one of them is upset. (The other day when Jessi was upset and crying, Jordie came over and gave her a huge hug then said, "all better?") Jordan watches the interaction and then picks a side - once when I was upset with JJ for being to physical with his sister, she jumped in shaking her finger at him, telling him "no hitting sisters!!"
But back to yesterday - finally she looks at me and announces "no more talking" and goes over and climbs on JJ's lap.
I cracked up and said, "I can't talk to JJ any more?"
"No - you talk to Jordie - no talk to JJ"
"But JJ and I are talking about his money"
"JJ - you spend daddy's money!, Mommy you talk to Jordie now"
"Okay Jordie"
"JJ okay - you give him daddy's money, he give money, all better"
"that will solve it?"
"Nyah (Jordanese for yes)! You tell Jordie - Jordie talk JJ - no more mommy talk to JJ"
I actually think she was trying to tell me that she didn't want JJ to be upset any more so I should talk to her about it instead. This conversation went on for a little while - which had both JJ and I in hysterics. But more than that I was amazed at her involvement. I have seen all my kids defend each other at different times but rarely does Jordan get it enough to defend anyone - it was awesome to watch her go over to protect and comfort her big brother - who, by the way is her idol!! Also as much as she misunderstood the conversation at the same time she did pick up on a lot of it as well and the thing that blew me away is that she was trying to problem solve. She actually got the concept of cause and effect when she was a baby which was great since it is the early stages of problem solving, and she has always had a high level of motivation and determination to solve physical problems - how does that block get in there, how can I get this shirt on, etc. But this is the first that I have seen her try and work through an abstract problem and communicate her thoughts. I'll take it!!!
And the icing on the cake - she thinks JJ should spend Daddy's money not Mommy's!!! She knows where the money comes from in this house - which again - great that she has picked up on - and I have no intention, even if she understood, of explaining any of it more thoroughly to her!!
Yesterday was one of the days that in a twisted somewhat frustrated way I was amazed and proud of how far Jordan has come. First after telling her to put her boots on five times as she wandered around with one Dora boot on in her hands I went down to the landing to help her - no other Dora boot.
"Jordan - where are your other boots? - I think you went downstairs when you came in last night"
"yes - they right there" points down the stairs like duh mom!!!
Seems like no big deal right? - except she was trying to follow my directions, had actually located her boots on her own, had determined she wanted to wear different ones AND was looking for them herself, and then clearly understood and communicated her answer - even with age appropriate duh mom inflection!!
After school both boys were napping and I suddenly realized it was WAY too quiet. She has taken to coloring in her bed (sometimes actually on paper - not the sheets and walls) so I wasn't too concerned but I had a nagging feeling I had seen her go in the bathroom. Sure enough I opened the door and got hit full force with the smell of nail polish. Scary part - the glass had broken either when she had tried to open it or it had fallen out of the cupboard- no cuts thought! The encouraging part - Jordan was sitting on the counter (where the girls sit when they use nail polish) and had actually only gotten nail polish on her nails (and some of the surrounding skin) - but not all over herself OR the bathroom!!!!
Later that afternoon when JJ came home we got in a large debate/discussion about how much money I owe him and what he is going to spend it on, donate etc. Let me remind you he is a 12 year old. He is a great kid and I have a wonderful relationship with him BUT he is 12 - and he is as argumentative as his mom. Which I personally quietly like because one of the reasons we have a great relationship is that we fight everything out - everything gets discussed to the end so there are no lingering hurt feelings! Anyway - back to the fact that he is 12 - it was not a quiet conversation. Jordan was sitting quietly on the couch next to me taking it all in. She has some interesting reactions when she knows I am upset with one of the kids or when one of them is upset. (The other day when Jessi was upset and crying, Jordie came over and gave her a huge hug then said, "all better?") Jordan watches the interaction and then picks a side - once when I was upset with JJ for being to physical with his sister, she jumped in shaking her finger at him, telling him "no hitting sisters!!"
But back to yesterday - finally she looks at me and announces "no more talking" and goes over and climbs on JJ's lap.
I cracked up and said, "I can't talk to JJ any more?"
"No - you talk to Jordie - no talk to JJ"
"But JJ and I are talking about his money"
"JJ - you spend daddy's money!, Mommy you talk to Jordie now"
"Okay Jordie"
"JJ okay - you give him daddy's money, he give money, all better"
"that will solve it?"
"Nyah (Jordanese for yes)! You tell Jordie - Jordie talk JJ - no more mommy talk to JJ"
I actually think she was trying to tell me that she didn't want JJ to be upset any more so I should talk to her about it instead. This conversation went on for a little while - which had both JJ and I in hysterics. But more than that I was amazed at her involvement. I have seen all my kids defend each other at different times but rarely does Jordan get it enough to defend anyone - it was awesome to watch her go over to protect and comfort her big brother - who, by the way is her idol!! Also as much as she misunderstood the conversation at the same time she did pick up on a lot of it as well and the thing that blew me away is that she was trying to problem solve. She actually got the concept of cause and effect when she was a baby which was great since it is the early stages of problem solving, and she has always had a high level of motivation and determination to solve physical problems - how does that block get in there, how can I get this shirt on, etc. But this is the first that I have seen her try and work through an abstract problem and communicate her thoughts. I'll take it!!!
And the icing on the cake - she thinks JJ should spend Daddy's money not Mommy's!!! She knows where the money comes from in this house - which again - great that she has picked up on - and I have no intention, even if she understood, of explaining any of it more thoroughly to her!!
Monday, February 22, 2010
oh poop
When I started this blog last week, I thought "what if my life suddenly becomes indescribably normal and boring now that I have decided to write about it?"
HAH - I should be so lucky :)
*warning if you are poop-story-a-phobic do NOT continue reading*
After this morning's events of re-arranging the mess in the house we headed off to dance. We were SUPPOSED to be heading to a birthday party with Jessi but we had the wrong day - not completely my fault except the part where I trusted that the information given to me from Jessi, passed along to her by another 8 year old, supposedly originating from said 8 year old's mother was accurately relayed. Something got lost in translation because the party was yesterday. UGH!! I have to say that sometimes things truly aren't fair for Jessi - but that is a whole entry unto itself!!
So we head off to dance, with a stop for a haircut for JJ along the way. NOT my favorite activity - my completely agreeable 12 year old becomes sullen and miserable the two times a year I insist he get his hair cut. It only lasts a brief time but still not very pleasant. We arrive at dance a little early, Jessi heads off to her class and JJ says - "I think Jordie is stinky." My heart sank!! I was just thinking the other night how I have finally pretty much relaxed in this area - not completely - I am still highly conscious of making her go on a regular basis and don't trust her at all to tell me when she has to, but we have come a long way in the last six months. I do a furtive check and don't see anything but I smelled something too so I sent JJ out to get my purse from the car for wipes and clean underwear. He comes in with the purse which somehow has no wipes in it. As a mother of five and half I truly believe that wipes are one of the most if not the ABSOLUTE MOST essential tool. So how is it that I am without them more often than I care to count??? I send him back out to the car to look - five minutes later he comes back in - no wipes any where in the car!! AARGH!!!
Now we are waiting to get into the bathroom where multiple girls are getting changed. They are all finally out and we are about to enter when another girl slips in ahead of us to fill her water bottle - really? You can't walk upstairs to the water fountain? But eventually we are in - I pull down her pants - false alarm!! Whew, all that and we dodged a bullet - must, must, must remember to put wipes in both my purse and my car!!!!
I sat back down in the lobby, relief filling my heart, when Nathan crawls over to me - oh boy - here is the stinky one! I tell JJ to watch the other two while I change him thinking - ugh but no big deal. HAH - since Nathan has blown out a diaper the last three days I have had him I am not sure what crazy world I was living in at that moment!! I get him in the bathroom lay him down and pull up his onesie - ugh!! This was definitely a "wish there was a bathtub, hose, fire hydrant anywhere nearby" moment! !Suffice it to say I threw the onesie in the trash (sorry Jen I owe you one but there was no way that one was coming home), managed to get the onesie over his head without getting poop in his hair (I must say I take a little pride in having perfected this skill), get him cleaned up (at least there was running water and plenty of paper towels in this wipeless scenerio of mine). I start to clean up the little spot of poop on the waistband of his jeans thinking it will just have to do until we get home (of course having extra clothes would be far to organized of me!!) and realize there is poop falling out of them into the sink - huge poop leakage had gone on in those pants!! Sigh - cleaned up the sink and get a bag for the jeans.
Next problem - did I mention I have no other pants for Nathan and by the way it is MN in the WINTER? Jordan is off to her dance class, having discarded the sweats - hot pink sweats - she wore there. Hmmm - whatever you gotta do right? So poor Nathan crawled around in hot pink sweats that were literally 5 sizes to big for him for the next hour. Numerous times he literally crawled right out of them. At which Timothy would run over and grab them, "Nathan, uh oh, Nathan pants!!!!" I got a few disapproving looks from a couple of the moms and some good laughs from the others. Glad we could provide some entertainment!! And for those looking on reproachfully - sorry that you have never had a day like this - maybe you need more kids!!! :)
This whole thing brings flashbacks of other times in this predicament (apparently I am a slow learner) - like the day at the beach that Timothy blew out his diaper and spent the rest of the afternoon in one of Julia's shirts (so Timothy and Nathan can be in therapy together for gender issues later in life), and the time at Wendy's when JJ was about 2.5 and Bethany was about 1 and she exploded - JJ pulled all the toilet paper all over the bathroom as I cleaned that one up and Bethany went home wearing JJ's sweatshirt on her legs like pants - quite the fashion statement!! Remembering that time makes me even more grateful that I had a much more helpful JJ today, to coral the other two while I took care of Nathan.
The rest of the evening was pretty uneventful - except for the piece of bread that Timothy turned into confetti and threw around the lobby and when he stole Nathan's bottle and ran across the room shaking it upside down. "I funny" - I knew that would come to haunt me again!! But we managed to leave without destroying any costumes that were being rhinestoned and without any children being rhinestoned so I guess all in all we came out ahead of the game!!!
HAH - I should be so lucky :)
*warning if you are poop-story-a-phobic do NOT continue reading*
After this morning's events of re-arranging the mess in the house we headed off to dance. We were SUPPOSED to be heading to a birthday party with Jessi but we had the wrong day - not completely my fault except the part where I trusted that the information given to me from Jessi, passed along to her by another 8 year old, supposedly originating from said 8 year old's mother was accurately relayed. Something got lost in translation because the party was yesterday. UGH!! I have to say that sometimes things truly aren't fair for Jessi - but that is a whole entry unto itself!!
So we head off to dance, with a stop for a haircut for JJ along the way. NOT my favorite activity - my completely agreeable 12 year old becomes sullen and miserable the two times a year I insist he get his hair cut. It only lasts a brief time but still not very pleasant. We arrive at dance a little early, Jessi heads off to her class and JJ says - "I think Jordie is stinky." My heart sank!! I was just thinking the other night how I have finally pretty much relaxed in this area - not completely - I am still highly conscious of making her go on a regular basis and don't trust her at all to tell me when she has to, but we have come a long way in the last six months. I do a furtive check and don't see anything but I smelled something too so I sent JJ out to get my purse from the car for wipes and clean underwear. He comes in with the purse which somehow has no wipes in it. As a mother of five and half I truly believe that wipes are one of the most if not the ABSOLUTE MOST essential tool. So how is it that I am without them more often than I care to count??? I send him back out to the car to look - five minutes later he comes back in - no wipes any where in the car!! AARGH!!!
Now we are waiting to get into the bathroom where multiple girls are getting changed. They are all finally out and we are about to enter when another girl slips in ahead of us to fill her water bottle - really? You can't walk upstairs to the water fountain? But eventually we are in - I pull down her pants - false alarm!! Whew, all that and we dodged a bullet - must, must, must remember to put wipes in both my purse and my car!!!!
I sat back down in the lobby, relief filling my heart, when Nathan crawls over to me - oh boy - here is the stinky one! I tell JJ to watch the other two while I change him thinking - ugh but no big deal. HAH - since Nathan has blown out a diaper the last three days I have had him I am not sure what crazy world I was living in at that moment!! I get him in the bathroom lay him down and pull up his onesie - ugh!! This was definitely a "wish there was a bathtub, hose, fire hydrant anywhere nearby" moment! !Suffice it to say I threw the onesie in the trash (sorry Jen I owe you one but there was no way that one was coming home), managed to get the onesie over his head without getting poop in his hair (I must say I take a little pride in having perfected this skill), get him cleaned up (at least there was running water and plenty of paper towels in this wipeless scenerio of mine). I start to clean up the little spot of poop on the waistband of his jeans thinking it will just have to do until we get home (of course having extra clothes would be far to organized of me!!) and realize there is poop falling out of them into the sink - huge poop leakage had gone on in those pants!! Sigh - cleaned up the sink and get a bag for the jeans.
Next problem - did I mention I have no other pants for Nathan and by the way it is MN in the WINTER? Jordan is off to her dance class, having discarded the sweats - hot pink sweats - she wore there. Hmmm - whatever you gotta do right? So poor Nathan crawled around in hot pink sweats that were literally 5 sizes to big for him for the next hour. Numerous times he literally crawled right out of them. At which Timothy would run over and grab them, "Nathan, uh oh, Nathan pants!!!!" I got a few disapproving looks from a couple of the moms and some good laughs from the others. Glad we could provide some entertainment!! And for those looking on reproachfully - sorry that you have never had a day like this - maybe you need more kids!!! :)
This whole thing brings flashbacks of other times in this predicament (apparently I am a slow learner) - like the day at the beach that Timothy blew out his diaper and spent the rest of the afternoon in one of Julia's shirts (so Timothy and Nathan can be in therapy together for gender issues later in life), and the time at Wendy's when JJ was about 2.5 and Bethany was about 1 and she exploded - JJ pulled all the toilet paper all over the bathroom as I cleaned that one up and Bethany went home wearing JJ's sweatshirt on her legs like pants - quite the fashion statement!! Remembering that time makes me even more grateful that I had a much more helpful JJ today, to coral the other two while I took care of Nathan.
The rest of the evening was pretty uneventful - except for the piece of bread that Timothy turned into confetti and threw around the lobby and when he stole Nathan's bottle and ran across the room shaking it upside down. "I funny" - I knew that would come to haunt me again!! But we managed to leave without destroying any costumes that were being rhinestoned and without any children being rhinestoned so I guess all in all we came out ahead of the game!!!
Cleaning Day
I am quite certain that anyone who has ever had a child under the age of five in their home while they tried to clean can relate to my morning! Not sure it should really be titled "cleaning" day because it's not so much cleaning as re-arranging the mess. Even as I start to write this Timothy has taken the recipe box out of the cupboard and is gleefully tossing recipe cards in the air in his own version of 52 card pick up! Except that the pick up part is slightly lacking. Not sure why I have a recipe box anyway since my husband can attest that I have pretty much never truly followed a recipe.
And Timothy's latest trick is to pull the little chair over to the play kitchen (or if that is too much work - simply climb up the kitchen - for which, let me tell you, it really wasn't designed) and pull the filled bin of plastic food off the top. He thinks it is tremendously funny to have all the food shower down on his and Nathan's heads!! Fortunately Nathan appreciates the end result and so doesn't see to mind grapes, watermelon, bananas and peas raining down on him.
But I decided this morning that some cleaning HAD to be done - since the floor was covered in cereal crumbs too small for even Sadie since another highlight of Timothy's morning was emptying the shredded wheat out of the box - at least this time I caught him before he jumped on too many of them! Also littered around the living room were random granola bars that Timothy had gotten out, clearly thinking that he would wear me down into saying yes if he just asked enough times!
So I set out determined - the books that had all been pulled off the shelf (and the shelf itself) were replaced, granola bars and popcorn packages put back in their drawer, toys picked up and put where they belong and dirty clothes taken downstairs.
But ironically here I sit an hour later - toys all over the floor, new dirty clothes distributed around me (Jordan is on her third outfit of the day), granola bars have been brought back out of the snack drawer in high hopes of getting eaten, and books are off another shelf (at least the shelf is still up on this one!). At least I can console myself that underneath it all most of the crumbs were swept up!!
Oh and of course there is the addition of the recipe cards!!
And Timothy's latest trick is to pull the little chair over to the play kitchen (or if that is too much work - simply climb up the kitchen - for which, let me tell you, it really wasn't designed) and pull the filled bin of plastic food off the top. He thinks it is tremendously funny to have all the food shower down on his and Nathan's heads!! Fortunately Nathan appreciates the end result and so doesn't see to mind grapes, watermelon, bananas and peas raining down on him.
But I decided this morning that some cleaning HAD to be done - since the floor was covered in cereal crumbs too small for even Sadie since another highlight of Timothy's morning was emptying the shredded wheat out of the box - at least this time I caught him before he jumped on too many of them! Also littered around the living room were random granola bars that Timothy had gotten out, clearly thinking that he would wear me down into saying yes if he just asked enough times!
So I set out determined - the books that had all been pulled off the shelf (and the shelf itself) were replaced, granola bars and popcorn packages put back in their drawer, toys picked up and put where they belong and dirty clothes taken downstairs.
But ironically here I sit an hour later - toys all over the floor, new dirty clothes distributed around me (Jordan is on her third outfit of the day), granola bars have been brought back out of the snack drawer in high hopes of getting eaten, and books are off another shelf (at least the shelf is still up on this one!). At least I can console myself that underneath it all most of the crumbs were swept up!!
Oh and of course there is the addition of the recipe cards!!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Dinner at the Moores
Dinner last night was great - in part because there was very little choice of food left in the house and no one has issue with Italian baked chicken, carrots and celery!!
But due to a little table re-arrangement Timothy was close to the light switch - halfway through dinner he thought it was hilarious to flip it on and off. To which Jordan got very upset, "TIM - MO - THEEEEEE" and "Ba - Beee" (we are convinced Timothy will be "baby" forever - we thought Nathan might replace him but Nathan is "Boy")
I am not actually sure if she was upset the light was going on and off or if she was upset she was not the one doing it, but whatever reason she turned around and hit him in the face. Note to self - do not seat the two of them next to each other! She hits and he kicks. In response to that (after a lengthy - "You will apologize to your brother") I moved her seat over.
The problem with that? Timothy has learned this wonderful new trick of mobility. He eats in one of those booster seats that strap to the chair. The other day he was throwing peas - yes throwing - ready, aim, fire - with sound effects "pow, pow, pow" When he ran out of his own peas, he bounced and pushed off the table until he was sitting across from Nathan (in a similar chair) and could steal his peas and "pow" them as well. The fact that Nathan thought it was hilarious and laughed uproariously at Timothy did not help deter peas being made into ammunition.
But back to the problem - apparently Timothy did not mind the hit to his face as much as his mother did because he promptly bounced himself right back next to Jordan and put his foot on her chair. Which she was not thrilled about so she shoved him away and he grabbed her chair as she did and yanked her with him. And announced, while giggling hysterically, "I funny!" Fortunately that cracked up everyone, including Jordan, difusing the situation! But I wonder how many other behaviors are yet to come where he thinks "I funny!"
But due to a little table re-arrangement Timothy was close to the light switch - halfway through dinner he thought it was hilarious to flip it on and off. To which Jordan got very upset, "TIM - MO - THEEEEEE" and "Ba - Beee" (we are convinced Timothy will be "baby" forever - we thought Nathan might replace him but Nathan is "Boy")
I am not actually sure if she was upset the light was going on and off or if she was upset she was not the one doing it, but whatever reason she turned around and hit him in the face. Note to self - do not seat the two of them next to each other! She hits and he kicks. In response to that (after a lengthy - "You will apologize to your brother") I moved her seat over.
The problem with that? Timothy has learned this wonderful new trick of mobility. He eats in one of those booster seats that strap to the chair. The other day he was throwing peas - yes throwing - ready, aim, fire - with sound effects "pow, pow, pow" When he ran out of his own peas, he bounced and pushed off the table until he was sitting across from Nathan (in a similar chair) and could steal his peas and "pow" them as well. The fact that Nathan thought it was hilarious and laughed uproariously at Timothy did not help deter peas being made into ammunition.
But back to the problem - apparently Timothy did not mind the hit to his face as much as his mother did because he promptly bounced himself right back next to Jordan and put his foot on her chair. Which she was not thrilled about so she shoved him away and he grabbed her chair as she did and yanked her with him. And announced, while giggling hysterically, "I funny!" Fortunately that cracked up everyone, including Jordan, difusing the situation! But I wonder how many other behaviors are yet to come where he thinks "I funny!"
Friday, February 19, 2010
Chocolate and Potty
Chocolate seems to be the theme....
In a desperate attempt to have Jordan start kindergarden potty trained last fall I went all out in a chocolate bribe. Timothy, who was about 14 months at the time, picked up on it full force. I would tell Jordan "Go potty."
Response, "chocolate"
"go potty"
"Chocolate"
"GO potty first"
"CHOColate"
"GO...POTTY...FIRST"
"CHOCOLATE!!!!!"
"IF you go potty then you can have chocolate"
"Otay"
(She's not dumb - she wants the whole contract spelled out in one sentence!)
This scene would quickly be followed by Timothy running for the kitchen yelling, "chocolate, Chocolate, CHOCOLATE!!!!!" Where he would stand bouncing until Jordan was done and would come in the kitchen as well. LIke a baby bird waiting for his worm he would look face up until that precious piece of chocolate was in his hands! Then off they would both go until a few hours later when the whole thing would be replayed!
This scene still plays out now - Jordan is essentially potty trained during the day but still close enough to accidents that I am content to be manipulated into chocolate if it means I don't have to clean up any more gross underwear for awhile ( I do still have one and half children to go so I am not home free yet :))
But last week Timothy took it to a new level. I told him I would make him lunch after I went potty - he proceeded to follow me into the bathroom and announced "CHOCOLATE". Nice try kid, but mommy going potty does not entitle you to chocolate. Mommy going potty in peace might be another story - chocolates all around if that ever happens!!!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The sayings of Jordan
Now that Jordan can talk so that we can actually understand her a reasonable amount of the time, it is interesting and often hilarious to get a glimpse of how her mind works.
On the way home from dance tonight we were discussing that Daddy would be in England another week. She insisted that she wanted Daddy. This isn't surprising because I had just told her to stop hitting her sister in the face. Jordan's response to any discipline is to ask for someone else. Often she wants Mommy if Daddy is disciplining or Daddy if Mommy is disciplining - or generally not doing what she wants done. And if Daddy is not available we go down the list "I want JJ", "I want Bop (aka Bethany)", "I want Jessi" - pretty much I want anyone except Mommy - it's pretty funny.
But I digress - so she announces to Bethany that Daddy is over there (pointing a random direction out of the car). This led to a discussion about where east is (due to my literal 11 year old) and she spent the rest of the trip home pointing that direction telling us Daddy is over there and he is coming home. We kept telling her he isn't coming home yet. Finally as we reached our street she announced " Yes, Daddy coming home with chocolate!!!" Sorry Sonny - apparently it isn't so much you that she wants home as the chocolate you bring with you!!
This little exchange cracks me up and also gives me a lot of hope. Sonny travels a great deal to a variety of places. I don't even try to keep up with where he is - he has a cell phone - does it really matter where he is when he answers it? But it is when he goes to England that recently he has been bringing back chocolate for the kids. It amazes me and gives me so much hope for what she is truly understanding and processing that she made the connection that Daddy is in England and therefore will be bringing home chocolate. Is it a coincidence? Maybe - but at least for tonight I am going to believe that is isn't, that under that hard to read sweet face of hers and behind that sometimes garbled speech - she really is getting it!!
On the way home from dance tonight we were discussing that Daddy would be in England another week. She insisted that she wanted Daddy. This isn't surprising because I had just told her to stop hitting her sister in the face. Jordan's response to any discipline is to ask for someone else. Often she wants Mommy if Daddy is disciplining or Daddy if Mommy is disciplining - or generally not doing what she wants done. And if Daddy is not available we go down the list "I want JJ", "I want Bop (aka Bethany)", "I want Jessi" - pretty much I want anyone except Mommy - it's pretty funny.
But I digress - so she announces to Bethany that Daddy is over there (pointing a random direction out of the car). This led to a discussion about where east is (due to my literal 11 year old) and she spent the rest of the trip home pointing that direction telling us Daddy is over there and he is coming home. We kept telling her he isn't coming home yet. Finally as we reached our street she announced " Yes, Daddy coming home with chocolate!!!" Sorry Sonny - apparently it isn't so much you that she wants home as the chocolate you bring with you!!
This little exchange cracks me up and also gives me a lot of hope. Sonny travels a great deal to a variety of places. I don't even try to keep up with where he is - he has a cell phone - does it really matter where he is when he answers it? But it is when he goes to England that recently he has been bringing back chocolate for the kids. It amazes me and gives me so much hope for what she is truly understanding and processing that she made the connection that Daddy is in England and therefore will be bringing home chocolate. Is it a coincidence? Maybe - but at least for tonight I am going to believe that is isn't, that under that hard to read sweet face of hers and behind that sometimes garbled speech - she really is getting it!!
This is why...
You know how some people seem to attract good fortune or trouble or disaster? Well our family seems to attract those little moments that you just shake your head at and say "Only us!!" Sometimes it makes me wonder what's wrong with me, sometimes it makes me grit my teeth in frustration but most days it makes me shake my head and laugh!
When did we become this family? I think it was six years ago next month when I sat in the ultrasound room at the hospital as they looked at my fourth child on the monitor. I read in their faces what they were hesitant to confirm - my daughter has an extra chromosome, trisomy 21, commonly known as Down syndrome. The saving grace at that moment truly was Saving Grace. I felt completely enveloped in the pure peace and grace of God. At that moment - one of moments to come - literally from that to this it has been a roller coaster of emotions and hopes and disappointments - but thankfully that peace has always lingered somewhere in my heart to help us walk this new crazy path that God placed us on!!
Not that all our challenges and chaos happen because of Jordan - any parent can tell you that is part of the life :) But it seems to be that that moment marks a new direction in my world. No longer would there ever be any semblance or hope of being a typical family. Forever more we were on our own road - for better or for worse. It's been both but I wouldn't change a thing. Okay that's not totally true but I wouldn't get off the road!
In that moment in that room the portrait of my family shattered. The first year or two it was hard to put it back together and every so often it shatters again. But each time less drastically, less painfully. It's almost like being given a child with special needs means you get to forge a whole new way of doing things. I've never been good at doing things conventionally or "because that's the way it's done". Having a child with an extra chromosome is like a free pass to do things differently.
But this blog isn't about Jordan - well not completely - although you will probably be hearing plenty about her artistry, escapes and raids on the chocolate. It's about this amazing life I have been given to live (at least this morning as I watch the three youngest play together before Jessi heads off to school is seems amazing - there may be other words for it later!! :) It's about the dreams and the hopes and it's about the way reality plays out - from the dog that runs away as the neighborhood watches, to getting stuck in the driveway on the way to a funeral, to the bat in the house on Halloween.
They say that average blog has one follower - if you choose to be my one (or more :)) THANK YOU!!
When did we become this family? I think it was six years ago next month when I sat in the ultrasound room at the hospital as they looked at my fourth child on the monitor. I read in their faces what they were hesitant to confirm - my daughter has an extra chromosome, trisomy 21, commonly known as Down syndrome. The saving grace at that moment truly was Saving Grace. I felt completely enveloped in the pure peace and grace of God. At that moment - one of moments to come - literally from that to this it has been a roller coaster of emotions and hopes and disappointments - but thankfully that peace has always lingered somewhere in my heart to help us walk this new crazy path that God placed us on!!
Not that all our challenges and chaos happen because of Jordan - any parent can tell you that is part of the life :) But it seems to be that that moment marks a new direction in my world. No longer would there ever be any semblance or hope of being a typical family. Forever more we were on our own road - for better or for worse. It's been both but I wouldn't change a thing. Okay that's not totally true but I wouldn't get off the road!
In that moment in that room the portrait of my family shattered. The first year or two it was hard to put it back together and every so often it shatters again. But each time less drastically, less painfully. It's almost like being given a child with special needs means you get to forge a whole new way of doing things. I've never been good at doing things conventionally or "because that's the way it's done". Having a child with an extra chromosome is like a free pass to do things differently.
But this blog isn't about Jordan - well not completely - although you will probably be hearing plenty about her artistry, escapes and raids on the chocolate. It's about this amazing life I have been given to live (at least this morning as I watch the three youngest play together before Jessi heads off to school is seems amazing - there may be other words for it later!! :) It's about the dreams and the hopes and it's about the way reality plays out - from the dog that runs away as the neighborhood watches, to getting stuck in the driveway on the way to a funeral, to the bat in the house on Halloween.
They say that average blog has one follower - if you choose to be my one (or more :)) THANK YOU!!
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Jordan at age 5
"Ta Da"
