8:15 this morning. I am trying to sleep. Husband is asleep. Daughter comes in, gives me the lightest of kisses on the cheek and whispers, "Mommy, I want you to sleep just as long as you need to." Moving around to the other side of the bed and no longer whispering, "Daddy, I'm starving." Daddy says, "Hey, why don't I get to sleep as long as I want like Mommy?" To which she firmly responds, "Because you are not growing a baby in your tummy...so get your lazy behind out of bed!" Okay, I made that last part up, but it was clearly implied in her tone. It is so nice to have a six year old on your side at times like these. He could not argue with her logic, and he did not try.
And he did get up and get everyone dressed and fed breakfast. And I did stay in bed for another hour.
Now, he has told me that a babysitter is coming at 11:00, and I need to be dressed reasonably well and ready to go somewhere. And he's not giving me any clues. That makes me crazy.
I might nominate him for husband of the year. I'll let you know when I see where this "surprise" takes us.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Funny Boys
One of the boys' favorite books is The Very Hungry Caterpillar (like most kids). W was "reading" it to us at dinner last night (we were waiting on our food at a restaurant...forever), and when he got to the end of the part where the caterpillar has eaten himself sick (I can sadly relate), he said "that night he had a Tummy Cake (a.k.a. stomach ache)." We had to get him to repeat himself like 10 times because it was just so cute (at least to mom, dad, grandparents, and great-grandparents).
(For the record (my record)--They both love to read and be read to. Some of their other favorites are Going on a Bear Hunt, Barnyard Dance, Brown Bear, Polar Bear, Goodnight Gorilla, and Where the Wild Things Are.)
D's latest cute saying is "gimme have it please" when he wants something. I guess it's a combination of "give it to me" and "let me have it please." This is great not only because it's cute but because it shows him starting to assert himself more. He is such a laid back little guy, and I am thrilled to see him starting to make his preferences known!
Every day with these two is more fun than the one before!
(For the record (my record)--They both love to read and be read to. Some of their other favorites are Going on a Bear Hunt, Barnyard Dance, Brown Bear, Polar Bear, Goodnight Gorilla, and Where the Wild Things Are.)
D's latest cute saying is "gimme have it please" when he wants something. I guess it's a combination of "give it to me" and "let me have it please." This is great not only because it's cute but because it shows him starting to assert himself more. He is such a laid back little guy, and I am thrilled to see him starting to make his preferences known!
Every day with these two is more fun than the one before!
Saturday, February 17, 2007
36
I turned 36 yesterday, and I have to say that of all the things I thought about my 36th bithday, being 24 weeks pregnant was not one of them. Each year, God truly shows me in a new way that His plans are not my plans and His ways are certainly not my ways. Having said that, this baby is just one of the best and sweetest reminders of that ever! I never ever thought I would have 4 or even 3 children. In fact, there was a time when we weren't even sure that we would have any children.
In my moments of weakness and self-doubt, I feel so unsure as to why God would choose ME to be their mother. I mean...does He know me? I am disorganized (really)...I don't cook (much)...I fall short every day in so many ways. But in my best moments, I feel so blessed because He chose ME to be their mother, ME to love them, teach them, hold their hands, wipe their tears, read them stories, sing them songs, hear their prayers. What did I do to deserve all this? But then I know that blessings like these sweet ones aren't earned...can't be earned. They are truly good and perfect gifts from above. And I thank Him for them every day.
In my moments of weakness and self-doubt, I feel so unsure as to why God would choose ME to be their mother. I mean...does He know me? I am disorganized (really)...I don't cook (much)...I fall short every day in so many ways. But in my best moments, I feel so blessed because He chose ME to be their mother, ME to love them, teach them, hold their hands, wipe their tears, read them stories, sing them songs, hear their prayers. What did I do to deserve all this? But then I know that blessings like these sweet ones aren't earned...can't be earned. They are truly good and perfect gifts from above. And I thank Him for them every day.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Welcome Robert
Apparently we have a new member of our family. His name is Robert Gordon, and he was adopted from the Imaginary Friend Orphanage by our daughter. He is the exact same age as M. (they have the same birthday), he is missing the same teeth, has the same loose tooth and even has a splinter in his heel in the same spot as she does. According to her, they are "identical twins."
We have to apologize to him frequently because we keep stepping on him, sitting on him and bumping into him. Thankfully, he is very quiet and very forgiving.
She has always had a vivid imagination and has never required the actual presence of people to interact with them. However, this is the first time that we have given a name to someone and had him move in with us.
I would post a picture of him, but I can't seem to get him to stay in one place long enough to capture him on camera. Apparently though, he has "the exact same color everything" as M. Makes sense, seeing as how they are identical twins.
We have to apologize to him frequently because we keep stepping on him, sitting on him and bumping into him. Thankfully, he is very quiet and very forgiving.
She has always had a vivid imagination and has never required the actual presence of people to interact with them. However, this is the first time that we have given a name to someone and had him move in with us.
I would post a picture of him, but I can't seem to get him to stay in one place long enough to capture him on camera. Apparently though, he has "the exact same color everything" as M. Makes sense, seeing as how they are identical twins.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Tinkerbell No More
Yesterday she told me she had decided that when she grew up she either wanted to be a movie star, a cowgirl, or a train engineer. At least these three things, as opposed to Tinkerbell, are actual professions. I was a little worried about how she was going to make a decent living as a fairy taking care of lost boys. I don't think there are many openings in that department.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Little Mother
Today, as on many weekends, I was on duty. I do about 10-12 weekends of duty in our dorm every school year. As House Mother, I'm never actually off duty (more like always on call) but I do have a great staff that covers some weekends and weeknights so that I can at least close my door every once in a while. Anyway, this weekend I was on duty, and my husband really needed to go to the grocery store today (we were seriously out of everything) at the same time as I was doing our regular mid-day check-in with all the girls. At this time, they have to physically present themselves in my office, so I have to physically be IN my office to receive them! Hubby planned to take one of the boys with him to the store for a little quality time, so we decided I would be in the office which is adjacent to our apartment with both apartment and office doors open (essentially I was no farther away than you would be if, for example, you were in the kitchen and your kids were in their playroom or bedroom), and that Big Sis would be in charge of W while Daddy and D were gone shopping.
I had to write about this because it was so precious to see how seriously she took her responsibility. In the 30 minutes I was in the office, she had made him a behavior chart, posted it on the refrigerator, updated it about 4 times and given him two stickers on his chest for good behavior. She didn't call me for any intervention until she decided it was W's rest time, and he did not agree. Luckily Daddy got home about that time, so everyone's attention was diverted.
She has really developed such a loving and caring heart for her little brothers, and they just love her right back. It is the greatest thing in the world at the end of a long day to see the three of them together playing and laughing without any intervention from Mom and Dad. We have so many wonderful days ahead of us! I can't wait to see how number four fits into the mix!
I had to write about this because it was so precious to see how seriously she took her responsibility. In the 30 minutes I was in the office, she had made him a behavior chart, posted it on the refrigerator, updated it about 4 times and given him two stickers on his chest for good behavior. She didn't call me for any intervention until she decided it was W's rest time, and he did not agree. Luckily Daddy got home about that time, so everyone's attention was diverted.
She has really developed such a loving and caring heart for her little brothers, and they just love her right back. It is the greatest thing in the world at the end of a long day to see the three of them together playing and laughing without any intervention from Mom and Dad. We have so many wonderful days ahead of us! I can't wait to see how number four fits into the mix!
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Well...
My boys have been somewhat slow to develop their linguistic skills. This was a little hard for me at first because I'm so, how to say it...verbose...loquacious.... So is our daughter, only about 10 times more than I am. The boys have been in speech therapy for about a year and they quickly reached a "within normal limits" range, but we continue with the therapy because A) there is still room for progress and B) they are obsessed with their therapist. Whatever Ms. H says GOES in their world. Serioulsy, it is like she is Santa Claus, they get so worked up and excited about going to see her every week. And I have to admit that I am almost as carried away with her as they are. She really and truly loves them (they are awfully loveable) and I love that about her!
In true twin form, one of them is a little more verbal than the other. He has always tried to do the talking for both of them, and for too long we let him do it. If W asked for juice, D got it too. If W asked for a snack, D got it too. We have finally gotten away from that as D will now tell you exactly what he wants and what he DOESN'T want. It's been so cool to see his personality emerge as his verbal skills are developing.
W's newest word is "well..." As in "W, what did you do at school today?" "Well....I...uh..." And he stops with that! It's too funny. It's like he's learned this new form, and he's not quite sure what to do with it, but by golly that's not going to stop him from using it! It's really cute.
In line with his newly found assertiveness, D's big thing now is "D's turn." Not "my turn" but "D's turn." Turn taking is tough for any 3 year old (and their parents), but with multiples, it's an art form, so it's good that they at least have the concept. It's a start!
And, frankly it's amazing that they, or anyone in our household, get a word in edgewise what with all the talking coming from the six year old, a.k.a Her Royal Highness, Princess McChatty. She's been saying things like, "Well, I prefer the pink one, although the purple one is quite lovely, too" since she was about 2 and 1/2. One of her favorite stories is when the boys came home from the hospital and she was about 7 days from turning 3, she asked me (amidst their tandem cries) "Mommy, is it time for the babies to go back to the hospital now?" And, for about 6 weeks after they were born, she asked me at bedtime every night if they would be back in my tummy when she woke up. Poor baby--she just did not know what had hit her! In retrospect, I'm thankful that she had the verbal skill she did so that she was at least able to verbalize her frustrations. Now that I have TWO 3 year olds, I realize that's not always a given. They have made such progress, though. I am sure that by the time the baby arrives, they'll be well able to express the same feelings their big sis had about them.
Now, I'm off to turn up the heat and go to bed. It is supposed to be in the high teens tomorrow morning. I really thought (okay hoped) that we left these temps behind when we moved from Chicago back to the balmy climate of Georgia. Oh, well...at least I know it won't last long here, as opposed to Chicago where the cold and wet and mud lasted until May.
In true twin form, one of them is a little more verbal than the other. He has always tried to do the talking for both of them, and for too long we let him do it. If W asked for juice, D got it too. If W asked for a snack, D got it too. We have finally gotten away from that as D will now tell you exactly what he wants and what he DOESN'T want. It's been so cool to see his personality emerge as his verbal skills are developing.
W's newest word is "well..." As in "W, what did you do at school today?" "Well....I...uh..." And he stops with that! It's too funny. It's like he's learned this new form, and he's not quite sure what to do with it, but by golly that's not going to stop him from using it! It's really cute.
In line with his newly found assertiveness, D's big thing now is "D's turn." Not "my turn" but "D's turn." Turn taking is tough for any 3 year old (and their parents), but with multiples, it's an art form, so it's good that they at least have the concept. It's a start!
And, frankly it's amazing that they, or anyone in our household, get a word in edgewise what with all the talking coming from the six year old, a.k.a Her Royal Highness, Princess McChatty. She's been saying things like, "Well, I prefer the pink one, although the purple one is quite lovely, too" since she was about 2 and 1/2. One of her favorite stories is when the boys came home from the hospital and she was about 7 days from turning 3, she asked me (amidst their tandem cries) "Mommy, is it time for the babies to go back to the hospital now?" And, for about 6 weeks after they were born, she asked me at bedtime every night if they would be back in my tummy when she woke up. Poor baby--she just did not know what had hit her! In retrospect, I'm thankful that she had the verbal skill she did so that she was at least able to verbalize her frustrations. Now that I have TWO 3 year olds, I realize that's not always a given. They have made such progress, though. I am sure that by the time the baby arrives, they'll be well able to express the same feelings their big sis had about them.
Now, I'm off to turn up the heat and go to bed. It is supposed to be in the high teens tomorrow morning. I really thought (okay hoped) that we left these temps behind when we moved from Chicago back to the balmy climate of Georgia. Oh, well...at least I know it won't last long here, as opposed to Chicago where the cold and wet and mud lasted until May.
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