Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Dating

Yesterday, Macy came home with this:



On the back was a note (Warning: It's quite personal. You might blush. I did.)

"Macy I love you. I was crazy becas I loved you so much. I wanted to give this to you Love Braxton"

I read it to her when she got home from school. Over dinner, she handed it to Greg and asked him to read it again. He said:

"Dear Macy: I don't like you. I think girls are yucky. Please don't ever talk to me again."

Macy (with her head turned to the side and a giant eye roll - but a smirk on her face): Dad! Mom already read it to me. I want you to read it again.

So Greg read it correctly. Afterward, he said: Macy! I don't want to have to beat up a Kindergartner. You are not allowed to have boys like you already!

Macy: Dad! It doesn't mean that he wants to go on a date with me! It just means that he's crazy because of my singing. (She takes a bite and continues in a very matter-of-fact voice.) Besides, I'm not dating anyone right now.

We laughed, and then I asked her if she knew how old she had to be in order to date. She sighed and said, "Yes...as old as you."

Moral of the Story: We deserve a pat on the back! I think all good parents should know who their six-year-old is dating. We are definitely on top of this one.

* * *

On an unrelated note:

Macy was reading her take-home books tonight. She was reading a book called "The Animals of Canada." It said things like: "This is a moose. It lives in Canada." She came to the last page. It read: "This is a loon. It lives in Canada." Macy read it once and looked up to me: "Does that say 'loon'?" I confirmed it. She said, "That doesn't sound like a real word to me."

Sunday, April 25, 2010

2 of My Dreams This Past Week

Dream 1: Inner Struggle with Abandonment

I was in St. George with my family and some of our friends. We were driving down the main street. For some reason, Greg was in the minivan with our friends, and I was following them. I had my kids with me.

All of a sudden, the car started stalling, so I pulled over. I looked ahead and was expecting Greg and our friends to stop or turn around or something. They just kept driving. So, I got out my phone and tried texting and calling Greg, and he wasn't answering. I remember sitting there, watching them drive further and further away from me.

So, I got out and walked around the car. At this point, my car was my son's Razor scooter and my kids were nowhere in sight (but in my dream, this made complete sense and was not strange at all). This large crowd formed around my vehicle/scooter (you know how crazy busy St. George Blvd. is with all the pedestrians). There were business men in suits with their briefcases and mothers with strollers. I believe there was a man with his son in their baseball uniforms. You know - just a bunch of people. They were all gathering around, shaking their heads, and commenting: "Yep. You are definitely leaking radiator fluid." I looked down at my vehicle/scooter and saw green fluid spewing out of the back red wheel. Everyone was commenting and giving me advice on how to fix it. But, once they offered their advice, they went on their way. I was left, on the side of the road, watching my scooter ooze radiator fluid out of the back wheel.

Dream 2: Inner Struggle with Alcoholism

I was at the beach with my kids. Actually, only four of them. I only remember having one of the twins with me (maybe the other one was alseep or something - who knows). I was watching my other kids play and run around. I was going crazy trying to keep my crawling baby out of the puddles and eating sand. Every time I put him down, he crawled as fast as he could for the lake/ocean (still unsure of the exact location). I was paranoid that he was going to drown. I was completely exhausted trying to keep them all alive.

For some reason, it was kind of windy and cold too. But, I had a few towels out and a beach chair. I just kept rescuing by baby from the waves.

Finally, I see Greg walking up the beach. I was so relieved. He had two boxes - one in each hand. As he got closer, I realized that they were two silver boxes full of cans of beer. He set them down in the sand, sat down on the towel, and opened his refreshing brewski. As I was getting one for me, Macy ran up and was begging for a sip of his drink. We were both explaining how she cannot have some of Daddy's drink, and she was whining and throwing a fit and negotiating her point of view (probably the most realistic part of the dream). Finally, I turned to Greg, and said (feeling completely rational): "You know, if you are going to get beer for us, the least you could have done was get some soda for the kids." After taking a sip, he wiped his lips and looked at me and said, "Soda is so bad for you. They'll be fine."

I shrugged my shoulders and went to take a swig from my can. As I was doing this, I remember thinking: "Do I even like beer?"

Interpretations welcome.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Macy (Said with a Head Shake)

*This entire conversation was relayed to my sister, Lisa. Macy is speaking very matter-of-factly here and not emotionally at all. It's just a business transaction.

**Whitney is a 12-year-old girl that babysits for my sister.

Macy: "I think we should sell Paige...And get Whitney instead."

Lisa: "Why?"

Macy: "Because she's big enough to babysit any time! She's even bigger than Austin."

Lisa: "Why do you want to sell Paige?"

Macy: "Because she's so whiney all the time."

Lisa: (Laughing)

Macy: "Really! She is whiney."

***Insert note by mother here: Yes, Macy, but where else are you going to find a little sister who follows you around all day with a deck of Go Fish cards in her hand begging you to play "Gold Fish" with her??? And every time she doesn't have the fish/shark/starfish, she says exuberantly, "Gold Fish!"

Monday, April 19, 2010

Surrender

I have been the worst blogger lately!!! In short, these are the three main reasons:

The other night, I explained to Greg that I have erected the white flag. I surrender. I'm done. I give the house over to the children. I have a new respect for the damage that 1 three-year-old and 2 (almost) one-year-olds can accomplish in an amazingly short amount of time. I try to maintain a patient, diligent balancing act most of the day. Then, as soon as 3:30 hits, two additional children bound through the front door and toss (literally) two backpacks on top of an already fragile haystack, and it's officially more than I can handle.

I don't mean to complain. I can't imagine spending my day doing anything else. But, for some reason, the past few months have been exhausting. I feel like I spend all my time digging away at that mountain only to discover a bigger mountain the next morning. Needless to say, anything "extra" takes a back seat. I've run out of the energy to even think about interesting posts.

On a more positive note: I find it absolutely fascinating and completely captivating to have two children the same age. They move around the house together, destroying anything in their path. Nothing is more interesting than the cup cupboard or the pajama drawer. They squeal with delight as they examine every inch of a sippy cup. They roll it around with their fingers (sometimes with their toes). They stare at it, lick it, bang it on the floor, bang it on the oven, bang it on their brother, scratch the inside, and blow through the top. They put it in the little "cup bin", close the cupboard, open the cupboard, and scream with pleasure when they realize that it is still there.

Ahhh...The education one derives from a sippy.

So, here are my three youngest munchkins:


You will have a hard time convincing me that nurture is stronger than nature. These boys are hilarious. At 11 months, they wrestle each other constantly. They take each other down (and apparently an open-mouth drool on the top of the head indicates the winner). They climb all over each other, take toys out of each other's hands, switch bottles in the middle of a feeding, and poke each other's eyes/nose/ears/mouth.

Through all of this torture, they never cry or become irritated with each other.

But (big BUT), if someone else enters the scene (namely Miss Paige), the screeches and pleas for help can be heard throughout the neighborhood.

Interesting.

I generally put Spencer to bed first, just because I am most likely searching for Kade's binkie. If I put him in the crib, turn on his music, and leave the room to fetch his brother, Spencer immediately stands up, stares at the door, and cries. As soon as I come in, put Kade down, tuck Spence in again, he calmly rolls over with his thumb in his mouth.

Interesting.

Kade is more gentle than Spencer. Spencer's new game is to "play" with my hair. I'm trying to teach him the concept of "softly". Kade hangs back and lets Spencer (the adventurous one) lead the way. Kade loves to climb over and under furniture. He is quite content just sitting in the middle of the bar stools, surrounded by rod iron. Both boys like their Mama, but Kade especially likes to have me hold him or snuggle him. If Kade gets his feelings hurt, he has the most pathetic cry. He puts his head down and just kind of moans softly. It is sure to break your heart right in two. Kade laughs at the drop of a hat. You don't even have to tickle him to get the giggle - just act like you're going to do it and his belly starts rolling. It is impossible to be grumpy or sad when you hear that laugh. He makes my heart happy.

Spencer is always on the go. He is constantly climbing, crawling, searching. He likes to get his hands dirty. He can hear the bathroom door open a mile away, and he usually crawls in high speed to get there before it shuts. Spencer has a deeper voice and a deeper cry. Spencer tends to be a bit more chatty than his brother. His form of communication is "Dada." If I repeat it, he looks over and his face just glows with delight. Then, he repeats his greeting more loudly and passionately. We have several conversations a day. Spencer is a No Nonsense type of guy. He drinks his bottle quickly, plays with toys quickly, and is completely determined when he wants something. The other day, I watched him climb over a step stool to get what he wanted. Apparently, bumps and bruises are a small price to pay for success. Spencer constantly has his tongue out. At first, I thought it was just his teeth, but it is always hanging out. He makes me laugh daily!




Then there's my Paige. This child is a Do-er. I have never had calm, passive children, but Paige reinvents the word "independent." She never asks for anything; she simply does. She makes up her mind and finds a way to get what she wants. If that means rearranging the furniture, then so be it. I honestly believe her little 20-something-pound body could move the couch if she decided. This trait is both incredible and exhausting. Every day she asks me, "Mommy, am I big?" She has absolutely no concept of her age/size/knowledge etc. Three is the bi-polar age. Her adorable is off the charts, but she can do a 180 in the blink of an eye. The usual signal is the constant whine/cry. Paige has recently learned about whispering and secrets. My world stops when she takes my head in her hands, turns toward my ear, and says, "Mommy, I gonna tell you a whisper secret." Then, in the quietest voice, she says, "I love you" (followed with a giggle and her hands up to her mouth). Sometimes, she'll turn my head to my other ear and whisper secret: "You are my mommy."

I have to find some way to cope with my house, my yard, and my "To Do" List, because although these three definitely keep me hopping from the moment they wake up until the moment my head touches the pillow at night, I love them to pieces, and I truly love having little people around me. So, I guess instead of surrendering my home, I should surrender my heart. To everything there is a season. I guess this is my season of legos on the floor, never-ending laundry, fingerprints on the windows, snot on my shoulder, and A TON of smiles, laughter, love, and creativity in our home.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Topic: Spelling "Discuss Among Yourselves"

Is it really necessary to teach spelling in school? I mean, I know it looks horribly ignorant to look over a job resume and see spelling errors. So I guess it is a necessary skill. But is there any way to postpone it until high school? I just adore my children's handwritten notes and their creative spelling.

For Easter, we put up our "Love One Another Wall."


We left it up all last week to allow everyone to write comments as they desired. The comments were so adorable. Personally, I think the spelling for "cute" should be replaced with "cqt" or "sweet" should be changed to "soeet" or "cautious" should definitely be changed to "coushish."

Spencer:
I love how you grab my face with excitement to greet me. - Mom
I love your curiosity and constant quest to learn. - Mom
I love that you eat fast. I love when you eat my face and give zerbets. - Dad
Spencer is a cqt brather. - Macy (Spencer is a cute brother.)
I love how you are so coushish. - Austin (I love how you are so cautious.)
I love how you say "DaDa" when you are trying to communicate. - Mom

Paige:
I love how you play and play. - Austin
I love how you are always thanking me for doing things for you. - Mom
I love your brown eyes! I love your squeaky voice and how you let me give you eskimo and butterfly kisses. - Dad
I love your sweet singing voice. - Mom
Paige is nis. - Macy (Paige is nice.)
I love how you don't walk or run - you prance (or gallop). - Mom

Mom:
Mom is soe seet. - Macy (Mom is so sweet.)
Mi mom is soeet. - Macy (My mom is sweet.)
I love that you try and try and try new things with our family! (Don't give up on us.) - Dad
Macy:
I love how you chace me. - Austin (I love how you chase me.)
I love how excited you get over the smallest things. You LOVE life! - Mom
I love your loose tooth! I love your fancy words! I love how you treat other people with kindness. I love when you dress up. I love that you want to ride in my car with me. - Dad
I love that you are so cuddly and love to be around people. - Mom

Kade:
I love that you already like piggy back rides. - Austin
I love how you smile with your entire body. - Mom
I love that you take a binky. You are daring...even if you always get stuck. - Dad
I love how you get so excited to see us after a nap that you "jump" and fall backward in you crib. - Mom
Kad is fany. - Macy (Kade is funny.)
I love that you laugh even before you get tickled. I love how happy you are! - Mom

Dad:
I love that you are so dedicated to me and our family. - Emily
I love how you play legos with me. - Austin
I love how you are constantly forgiving me and finding the best in me. - Emily
I love how you let us play on the ifone. - Austin
Dad is fanee. - Macy (Dad is funny.)
I love that you play with our kids and talk to them about their lives. - Emily
I love your belly laugh! Makes me smile EVERY time I hear it! - Emily

Austin:
I love it that you are trying so hard to be respectful at school. - Mom
I love my brather. - Macy
I love your laugh. It is contagious. It is the happiest sound in the world. - Mom
Austin is asm. - Macy (Austin is awesome.)
I love that you are creative with legos, dinos, and fun games you make up. I love that you play with your sisters and brothers. I love that you listen to Styx and OMD. You are so wonderful!!! You are my favorite oldest child! - Dad
I love how much you love your brothers. You are so good to get Spence every morning. - Mom