A Good Mom Moment

I had a good mom moment today.  It happened at the very end of the day, after Cheetah had been a complete menace to my friends kids at a MOPS craft planning meeting, after my kids had dumped the contents of three book bags all over my relatively clean family room floor, after I threatened to lock one child out if he didn't come in and start his homework instead of throwing sidewalk paint all over the driveway.  I was sitting in bed and I got a text from my friend Deborah telling me to thank Gigi for playing with her daughter on the playground today, that she'd come home from school really happy.  It was a lovely thing to hear and it started like this.  At the end of last school year Deborah, who lives in my ward, moved into a house about nine houses down from mine.  She's on the main street and we are on a culdesac three culdesacs away so it's not like I see her every second, but I see her enough that it makes me happy to have her there.  She has three daughters and her oldest daughter who is the same age Gigi is like a girl version of Captain E...and by that I mean super shy.  For the firs 2 1/2 years she wouldn't even talk to me.  Last December she came to Gigi's birthday party and I think that was the first time I'd really ever heard her voice.  Anyway last year she was still making her mom walk her in to school, but this year her little sister is in Kindergarten and so she is riding the same bus Captain E, Gigi, and Peach ride, although unfortunately neither her nor her little sister share a class with Gigi or Peach.

I've talked to her mom several times about the school year because I feel a little kinship to her, mainly because it's like looking at my own son, and also because I was excited for her that she has Ms. W, Captain E's amazing teacher from last year who was moved down from fourth grade to second.  (I am super disappointed G didn't get her!).  Deborah has told me the year is going pretty good but yesterday she mentioned to me that she wished A could find someone to play with on the playground.  She's the new girl in school this year, she's super shy, she spends her recesses alone.  Deborah said, "A, why don't you go and play with Gigi?"  But A said, "Mom she already has kids from her class to play with."  I'm not going to lie it sort of broke my heart.  That was Captain E the year we moved him to this school.  He was in second grade.  He'd just had to leave the most perfect best friend he will probably ever have in his whole life.  He was so painfully shy.  I don't think he said a whole word unless required that entire year, THE ENTIRE YEAR.

Gigi is a very different creature.  Dr. J and I were randomly discussing her earlier.  She's quiet when she wants to be but doesn't feel anxiety about speaking when she needs to.  She likes being with other people and is pleasant to be around but doesn't feel the need to work super hard to fit into any group.  She plays with others when they do what she likes but if she wants to do something else she has no problem leaving the group to do it.  She's just independent!  I think about it and know that even though maybe sometimes she's a little distant that I don't have to worry about her doing anything that she doesn't want to do.  That doesn't mean she doesn't know how to have fun and I happen to know that she particularly enjoys hanging out on the monkey bars with some of the girls from her class.

This morning while I was eating breakfast, I said, "Gigi have you seen A on the playground?"  She told me yes but said that she's not over in the area by the monkey bars.  "Oh," I said, "well maybe if you walk by her you can ask her if she has any interest in playing on the monkey bars.  She's new at the school this year and she really doesn't know anyone.  Maybe she won't end up wanting to play but sometimes just being invited makes you feel good."  "Yeah," Peach interjects, "I always like when people want to play with me."  Believe me girl we know!  Number three is my Miss Social.  That was it, the last I knew of it until I got Deborah's text tonight.

"Hey Gigi," I said, "Did you happen see A today."  "Yup.  I asked her if she wanted to play on the monkey bars with us and we had so much fun!"  Then she proceeds to give me a whole enthusiastic list of all the things they did today.  To be honest it was one of the few times I've seen Gigi super excited about spending time with anyone, so I think it went well.  It made me happy that she'd taken my push from this morning, and it made me me happy that A and Gigi both had each other to play with.  I hope that they continue to nurture a friendship.  It is an answer to my prayers.  Every morning when I pray with the kids I ask for the same things.  First I ask God that their minds will be open to learning.  Then I ask that they will be a good example and finally I ask that they will be a good friend.  I read this article recently about how if you want your kids to be happy, the most important thing isn't how talented they are, it isn't how smart they are, it isn't how tall or rich or beautiful they are but the biggest determinant of future happiness is how nice they are.  The kids and I had a good discussion about this one day and hypothesized on why we thought this might be.  They thought it might have something to do with the fact that if you are nice to other people that they are more likely to be nice to you, not guaranteed but more likely and if you are surrounded by nice people who wouldn't be happy.  More than anything I want my kids to be happy and so I pray for them daily that they will be a good friend, that they will be loving, that they will want to be kind.  Today I got a glimpse of kindness from one of my children and it blessed her, it blessed A, it blessed Deborah and it blessed me.  I guess you could say it definitely paid off in some happiness.  I feel lucky and grateful I got to hear about this.

Spring Is Finally Here

I can't be the only person on the planet who is happy for spring, but I wanted to add in my two cents....THANK GOODNESS!  Seriously though.  We've lived in the Midwest for 11 winters.  This was my least favorite by FAR!  But now the snow if finally melted and the sun is out longer.  Our grass is starting to green up and the kids are spending a lot more time outside.  I am loving it!  Here is just a whole bunch of pictures of the girls playing on our swing set.  There are a lot of Peach.  It is hard not to want to take her picture because face is so expressive, she is just fun to watch.  There are even a couple of Peach holding onto a new worm friend.  The girl is a friend to all bugs so far.  There are also a couple of Gigi reading to Peach.  That is one of my favorite things about the kids learning to read, when they share that joy with their younger siblings.  Love it!

Pulling Teeth - Our Tooth Fairy Is A Bum

As an extended breast feeder I've always thought it was a blessing that none of my kids got any teeth before they turned a year old.  A blessing for me that is, when my two oldest went to kindergarten and neither of them lost a tooth and got to be put on the lost tooth chart they were both pretty upset about it.  Luckily by first grade they finally started to make some progress.  I say luckily because most of my sister's teeth never got loose and she'd have to go to the dentist to have them pulled when the new ones would grow in behind.  Yikes!  But these kids get loose teeth.  Last week one of Gigi's top front teeth started to get really wiggly.  Now there are two schools of thought in this house.  My husband was the kid who the second a tooth was loose would start wiggling that thing as hard as he could and then have a parent yank it out.  I was the complete opposite.  I would wait forever, until the tooth was barely hanging on by a thread, the rest of the gum had completely healed, every bite was painful as that sharp end would poke back up into the gum and then, maybe then I would finally twist it out.  I think I let my parents pull just one tooth and was like, "NEVER AGAIN!"  So far the kids fall somewhere in the middle.  They've let teeth be pulled although they aren't huge fans of it, so usually they just eat lots of apples and wiggle it out themselves, but in a much timelier manner than I ever did.  This tooth though was getting pretty loose and Gigi seemed a little reluctant to touch it.  Finally I said to her, "Hey how about you let dad look at it, and if we get it out you'll get that dollar even sooner."  One thing my kids are obsessed with is hording money, so she reluctantly agreed.  Dad got some dental floss, made a little loop and then tried to flip it out by tightening it by pulling on the ends.  The first time, it slipped off.  I said, "Just let him try one more time and then if you don't want it he'll stop."  Slipped off again.  The third time as she started to get a little wiggly about it and said, "You promised."  I totally threw Dr. J under the bus and said, "you promised just one more time."  Even though it was obviously me.  Somehow he convinced her to do it and that fourth time was a charm, the tooth went flying.  And then she starts bleeding and crying.  I felt a little bad about that, but a minute later she was all smiles so I guess it was ok.   She told me later she wanted to keep the tooth. I was like, "Sure" because here is the honest truth, what do I need with a whole bunch of baby teeth.  Then I completely forgot to put the money under her pillow.  And here is our family secret: Our Tooth Fairy is a total bum.  For whatever reason I just cannot for the life of me remember to sneak in after the kids are asleep and put the money under their pillow.  So in the morning I went in and said, "Hey have you checked under your pillow?  I think there might be something under there," and then I shoved the money under.  I'm not entirely sure why we keep up this facade.  Before Christmas I forgot so many days in a row I finally just handed the dollar over and said sorry.  Why don't I just do every transition like this?  I mean after all we are the family who does not hype up pretend home invader holiday friends.  We don't do Santa although 3/4 of our kids still totally believe in Santa.  They get presents on Christmas and they never think to distinguish who they come from.  We do Easter baskets on Saturday but we never say they are from the Easter bunny and if they ask we say they are from us.  We give small threats at Valentine's Day and on St. Patrick's Day but the kids also totally know they are from us.  So in some ways I think, wouldn't it just be easier to say, look you are going to lose 20 teeth, here is a 20 dollar bill.  Just chuck those things in the garbage when you are done, or let them pick out their Christmas or Easter gifts or set up their own holiday treats, but then I think there is just something sort of fun about the surprise of it all and so maybe that is why we still put the money under the pillow....at least when we remember to.  Oh and just on a side note on this video, I love that Peach was cheering Gigi on so much because as soon as the whole thing was done she said, "I am NEVER GOING TO LET YOU PULL A SINGLE ONE OF MY TEETH!"

Kids Getting Cavities Filled

 So I'm the kind of mom who takes my kids in for bi yearly dentist visits.  Don't ask me why.  I hate the dentist.  I mean really, really, really hate.  Even now as an adult I get serious anxiety about just going in for a cleaning.  What is that?  But still in an attempt to be a decent mother, not even stellar, but just decent I take these kids in for their bi yearly appointments.  The last time we were there the dentists mentioned that Gigi had two cavities in some back molars that hadn't been in far enough to do sealants six month previous and had some really deep groves.  He told me we could let it sit or take care of it.  We opted to take care of it but I had some serious concerns about how she was going to fare considering the girl is terrified of shots!  He told me he prefers to use laughing gas on kids when he works, although this happens to be something my insurance company doesn't cover so it would be out of pocket for me but he said that a lot of times when he uses the gas the kids don't even realize and so as a general rule he doesn't even mention the shot and they keep them hidden away until the kid is happily sitting on the chair gassed up.  I thought about it for just a second and then decided to pay the $80 or so dollars the gas cost and take my cue from the dentist and not say a word about the gas.  On the day of the procedure I took her in and they set her up with the laughing gas.  An hour later she was done.  I spent most of the time in the waiting room although I did go back three times just to peek and make sure she was OK.  I don't want to be a hover mom, but really even when you trust someone, you still sometimes need to see for yourself.  Especially when you hear horribly sad stories like this one about the girl who was put under and then left attended for 30 minutes.  She ended up dying.  Such a tragedy.  But each time I went back everything looked great.  It is nice to know you can trust the hands you are in.  After when I went back she was in a giggly mood and the dentist said she was a champ.  He then whispered to me, "She has no idea I gave her two shots," although later that day she did mention that she had some deep pain in the back of her gums.  I asked her to point it out and it was right where the shots went.  I gave her a dose of children's Ibuprofen and she was fine.  I contemplated telling her she'd had two shots to give her a better memory of shots to think about for next time we are at the doctor's office and she needs to get a booster, but then I backed away from it.  The girl hates them so much, more than I hate the dentist I couldn't guarantee it wouldn't backfire on me.  As for the extra money, it was worth every penny!

Gigi Turns 7 - Cheap/Easy Birthday Party on the Fly

 On the 17th of December my first born daughter celebrated her 7th birthday.  She asked me if she could have a party, she begged me if she could have a party, she pleaded for two weeks before her birthday for a party, but her birthday is at a horrible time of year.  Falling a week before Christmas people are usually very busy with Holiday/Family stuff.  The weather outside if horrible so unless we want to rent a venue we are trapped in our house.  Mom is already overwhelmed trying to get things done for Christmas.  But her pleas made me so sad, so a week before her birthday I sent an e-mail out to a few of our friends asking if they could come on the Tuesday of her Birthday or the Saturday before (although dad wasn't going to be there because he was on call) for a low key thrown together birthday party.  Our friends said they could come either day.  I asked Dr. J which day he would prefer, he said either was fine, but in a way that made me feel like he'd be sad if he missed it, so we decided to throw the party on Tuesday.  Tuesday night at six our guest started to arrive.  I'd made pizza dough and after all the girls got here I had them come over three at a time and make a mini pizzas.  I'd made bread sticks a little earlier (thank goodness those girls were hungry).  When the pizzas were done the kids all ate.  Then I sent the whole kit upstairs to my room to bounce in the bounce house.  Around this time Dr. J got home and I sent him up to supervise the bouncing.  After about twenty minutes they came back down for cake and presents.  Then mom's showed up.  It was short and sweet and Gigi was super happy.  I didn't do party bags.  I didn't do games. I didn't have a theme.  I didn't send out real invitations.  I didn't decorate.  I didn't have a whole class of kids here but she was so happy and the kids had fun.  If you've ever seen my summer party you know I'm just as likely as the next mom to go over board on this type of stuff, but it was nice to see that for relatively little money and effort my daughter could be happy.    

Do you like this cake.  Peach picked it up and I thought it was adorable!

Cheetah and Jess have been friends since Cheetah was born.  

 So Dr. J was a little late to the party but my friend Jessica was there and she was like having a husband there to help, only more helpful.  Sometimes I feel silly being that mom standing around at the birthday party, you know when there are five other mom's sitting there and you just feel like you are taking up more space then doing anything useful.  Well for that reason I was happy that most of the moms just dropped off, but I was also glad to have Jess because when there is just one mom there you can actually put her to work :)

Happy Birthday to my 7 year old sweetie.  I not going to say that sometimes we don't butt heads.  She can be very strong willed when she wants to be, but she is also very kind and loving.  Sometimes when I'm feeling a little frustrated with Cheetah, Gigi will scope her up and calm her down.  She is always the first one to agree to help.  I love my daughter Gigi and I'm super glad I could make her happy by throwing her this party.

A Couple Videos of the Older Girls

Gigi is in maroon almost on the end.  What cracks me up about this video is her and the two girls beside her are all within just a few months of age and they are so different in height.  They also happen to both be the daughters of cops.  What can I say, we live in a cop neighborhood!

They Just Keep Growing

The kids just keep growing.  I mean seriously why won't they stop!  Captain E is eight now.  It's great to be eight.  Kid cracks me up.  As soon as he knows you are taking a picture those eyes snap shut.  It is almost impossible to get a picture of this kid when he knows you are trying.  Easter, mother's day, back to school pics.  These are so hard.  Kid kills me.  I tried growling and bribing.  No joy.  Instead enjoy this silly look with the eyes closed.  Look at those skinny long legs and arms.  This kid cracks me up.

Then we've got Gigi.  Finally five an moving on to school.  She loves the bus.  She loves the social aspects of school, having a whole new group of friends.  She loves snacks, reading, the library, art, and PE.  There is one thing she hates about Kindergarten, nap time!  Everyday she comes home and tells me they had to have rest time again.  "I haven't taken a nap in years mom," she tells me.  Yes I know sweetie, yes I know.

Little miss peach.  Oh boy.  Three has always been the hardest age for me.  The kids go from being these cute little mama loving babies to being these independent, opinionated little people.  Every day becomes an exercise in hostage negotiation.  Peach has been no exception but she also is adorable.  This particular day she wore her pajama top all day under her backwards shirt.  That's just how we roll her.  She also recently got this little pixie cut.  In general I'm anti bangs on my babies because as the hair thickens up they just keep getting thicker but Peaches hair is so thin and crazy :)  She loves it!

Then we have little miss cheetah who I have renamed Petitie Sweetie, aka sweet pea.  She is adorable and pretty much the most trouble I've ever seen in such a small package!  In three days she will be ten months old....or 71/2 months adjusted.  She is just a tiny little thing, 16lbs but she rules the roost in this house.  Smart little whip of a girl.  She can get the lids off markers.  I often find her crawling around chewing on the tabs of the door stops.  She will unplug my phone and suck on the chord.  Ok maybe she just has an oral fixation.  She is one of the happiest little people I've ever seen.  We adore her.

Preemie Life - Seven Months, 4 1/2 adjusted

Nothing cuter then cellulite on a baby's bum.   We are at seven months now or 4 1/2 months adjusted.  I've stopped thinking about Cheetah that way.  She is a little on the tiny side for seven months, just over 14lbs and she has the smallest little feet and hands I've ever seen.  I think those under five food great-grandmas on both sides might be contributing genes here.  Everything else about her though is caught up.  She never stays on her back anymore.  The second you lay her down she flips over to her stomach.  It is her preferred place to sleep as well as play.



She is a champion sleeper.  Well at least at night.  We get a full nights sleep out of her.  Her daytime naps are much harder to squeeze in.  Each kid gets a progressively worse nap schedule.  That first one has two regimented naps a day.  The second, got one.  The third slept in the car while I was picking kids up from school.  The forth is lucky to catche some zzz's while nursing.  Yesterday she didn't fall asleep until 5:30.  When Dr. J came home from work to change she woke up. "Do you know that is the first time she got to sleep today," I whined in a sort of frantic high pitched voice.  It must of sounded desperate because he was quick with a million, "I'm sorrys."  "Tell the baby," I said as she screamed her little heart out.

 We are moving all over the place.  If you put her on a blanket on the floor you will find her someplace else.  I wouldn't say she is crawling but she gets up on her toes and arms and then pushes herself forward until her body slams forward onto the ground.  Then she starts the process all over again.  With that and rolling she can slowly get pretty much anywhere she needs to go.  The bed, top of the stairs, and the changing table have become much less friendly places, as have table and chair legs.  Her jerky little movements mean she has a good chance of slamming her face into anything at head level.

Inch worming isn't her only mode of transportation.  Thing 1 and thing 2 are often found carting her around.  They have both been expressly forbidden from carrying her on a daily basis and yet I continue to find them, guilty faced carrying Cheetah around.  Yesterday Captain E brought her down the stairs to me.  I said, "Why are you carrying that baby down the stairs."  He said, "Dad told me to bring her to you.  She needs to nurse."  GiGi is just as bad.  I've caught her running through the house, baby bouncing in her arms.  I also saw her put Cheetah in her play and pack.  She hung her over the edge, rocked on her stomach muscles and the edge of the play and pack, legs going up into the air.  When the baby reached the mattress she let her go, her legs instantly dropping with the release of the counter weight.  It was horrifying and fascinating wrapped into one.  We've yet to have any major accidents but I'm keeping my fingers crossed just in case.

Milk is no longer Cheetah's only food item.  This week we introduced rice cereal.  Every first bite goes like this first blurry one, captured by dad, but then she settles in for the long haul.  I have not had a single child who likes rice cereal but this one eats with gusto.  Hands wave everywhere and cereal is soon covering her face, hands, chair, bib.  We give her a little spoon to try and distract her from the one entering her mouth but it somehow manages to get covered as well.

St Patrick's Day/Soccer Begins

 We started out St. Patrick's Day with an 8:15 practice.  When Captain E was younger we signed him up for soccer at the Y.  He sat in the corner of the field.  We signed him up for basketball, he stood in the corner.  Finally we went with Tae Kwon Doe.  It was about individual effort and achievement and for a shy kid sometimes that is what you need.  This spring we decided to try soccer again.  We signed up both Captain E and Gigi.  Wow what a difference a year or two makes.  E was involved with the group, listening to the couch, participating and interacting with kids he'd never met before.  It was truly beautiful...well it would have been had it not been 8:15 in the morning.

 Peach just wanted to eat candy.  Gigi wanted to be held.  Cheetah snuggled in with daddy.  Dr. J had worked the night before but Saturday was his day off so he came home, changed, and joined us on the field.  He's been working a month of nights with only one day off a week.  He said to me, "On my one day off I should be a good dad," he paused for a second and then said, "or at least a kind of good dad."  We both had a laugh at that.  Oh medicine, you make it possible to pay for the kids, but you make it almost impossible to ever see them...bitter sweet :)

 The girls got some playground time.  

 We then headed to I HOP to treat the kids to breakfast.  Note to self, no more meals for Gigi and Peach.  Those two have to share until they can prove otherwise.  The next step was a trip down to the downtown canal.  They had dyed it green for St. Pattys.  We had a good laugh at all the runners decked out for the St. Patty's day run.  So fun, I definitely want to join in next year!

 Dr. J and the kids hanging out with the green canal.  Look at how cute picture two is.  Keep that in mind when you see the one and only picture of me and the kids.

 There are fish in the canal.  We actually spent quite a bit of time watching two carp trying to kill a third.  Dr. J scared them off several times but what can you do when they are determined to eat the scales off another fish, circle of life kids, circle of life.

 Ok here it is.  The one and only picture of me.  Lovely isn't it.  I think this explains two things, 1) why two weeks ago I started Weight Watchers, and 2) why I just would rather not ever have a picture taken of myself.  Blah.  Thanks honey for taking a picture while I was scowling.

My kids are so theatrical, especially my first born.  "Mom, take a picture of me being squished by this wholly mammoth."  "Mom now I'm going to save Gigi."  "Mom I'm going to pose like this, snap the picture.  Let me see it.  AWESOME, that's what I was going for.  It looks like I'm running."  E's birthday is coming up in just a few months and I'm determined to get him a nice little flip camera so that he do his own photos, film and make his own home videos.  

 Finally at 1:15 we had soccer practice for Gigi.  Cracks me up.  This little girl is ALL LEGS!  Finally at 2:30 we made it home.  Dr. J was beat and collapsed almost immediately.  I made it to the couch where I fell asleep nursing.