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.