Thankful

Last Friday, the kids and I headed to my parents' for a few days. Allen had to work some over the weekend, and since this week was spring break around here all our activities were cancelled. It was just a good time to go spend more than a weekend. Luckily the weather was beautiful, but windy, most of the time we were there. The kids got to spend a lot of time outside, so they were happy. Here are a few pictures from our visit. The kids enjoyed wheelbarrow rides and long walks; they played a lot on the neighbor's bigwheels, playground set, and trampoline; the little ones had their first time out in the canoe and Will had fun boating, too. You can tell spring has sprung in this part of Texas by the bluebonnets that finally popped up from their slumber.

We came home yesterday in cold, rainy weather, but we so so glad to see Allen. Yesterday was his birthday and we celebrated by watching him open presents that ALL had "Will" written on them. After Will helped me wrap them and stick bows on them, I turned my back and he wrote his name very large on each of Allen's gifts. I was frustrated, but it wasn't too big of a deal. He is getting very comfortable labeling things he thinks should be his, or in this case, he wanted all the gifts to be from him.

Today, it is still stormy. I thought it was a good day to throw lots of blankets on the floor and watch movies, but the kids didn't agree. They preferred to take off clothes, climb on tables, stand on the windowsills, bite each other, and throw toys. I did play some, but I spent a good part of the morning trying to deal with the piles of laundry, the mess in the office, the mail sorting, and who knows what else. I am a bit overwhelmed by all of it, but that is probably because the kids are fussy and the weather is dreary. It's a great day for a nap, but I haven't found time for one of my own.

It's funny how some things cross my path when I need them to. Today, I've been stressed, but I got an email from mom about being thankful. Instead of using it word for word, I am rewriting it to fit me and to remind myself how blessed I am.

I am thankful

. . . for the husband who sits around watching sports, because it means he is home with me.

. . . for the five-year old who won't quit tattling, because it means he thinks I can fix everything.

. . . for the dozen diapers that stink up the house each day, because it means we have three healthy toddlers.

. . . for the taxes we pay, because it means Allen has a job.

. . . for the toys that are scattered all over the house, because it means I am surrounded by children.
. . . for the clothes that fit the kids a bit too tight, because it means they have enough to eat.

. . . for the clothes that don't fit me, because it means I've lost the weight I've been wanting to lose.
. . . for the shadows that follow me and watch me work all day, because it means I am in the sunshine.

. . . for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and floors that need mopping, because it means we have a home.

. . . for all the complaining about the government, because it means we have freedom of speech.
. . . for the parking spot at the far end of the parking lot, because it means I can walk.

. . . for a car that needs to be washed and vacuumed, because it means we can afford a vehicle.
. . . for the utility bills that keep coming, because it means we are warm and we have clean water.

. . . for the crying, whining, and bickering, because it means I can hear.

. . . for the piles of dirty and clean laundry, because it means we have clothes to wear.
. . . for the weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day, because it means I have been able to work hard.
. . . for my watery eyes and runny nose, because it means the flowers are blooming.

. . . for the dog's barking and the cat's shedding, because it means we are given unconditional love.

. . . for not knowing what is for dinner tonight, because it means we have choices.

. . . for the kids ' loud laughter and giggling that gets out of control, because it means they are happy.

Objet d'arte

I had a great day with Ben today, but let me start with yesterday's events. . . . We went to MOPS as we normally do twice a month. Yesterday we had a speaker talk about doing art with preschoolers. She told us the best products to have on hand, she gave us project ideas, and she shared ways of working with kids and creations. It was a fun presentation, but I left a bit, well, blue. It is so challenging for me to do art with four kids and only one me. That makes me a bit sad because I love being creative, and I want to share that passion with my kids. Unfortunately, it may have to wait until I have more adult hands around to help or the kids are better at following directions.

However, that is just what my Thursdays are for, right? Today, Ben and I stopped by Hobby Lobby for a few supplies, then detoured to Albertsons for a few groceries. The funny part was two of the Alberson's employees asked where the rest of the crew was. I didn't realize they paid that much attention to us -- sure, I know they notice when three toddlers are there, but when there is only one, I figured we'd be incognito. We rushed home and Ben helped me put away the groceries and we got out the stuff to paint. Armed with some ideas I picked up yesterday, we started our projects.

This first painting was done in a cake pan with paper in it. On the paper we put down three blobs of paint (blue, aqua, and green), then Ben poured marbles into the pan. I showed him how to tip the pan back and forth to make the marbles roll and he got so excited. He loved it!! He loved the colors spreading, he loved the clacking of the marbles, and he loved moving the pan by himself. He finished his painting and picked up each of the marbles and put them in another bowl -- he was so proud of himself for cleaning up, too.

Next was fingerpainting, pure and simple. He dipped his fingers into the gooey paint and his face lit up. He showed me his "meths" and I assured him we'd clean his hands later. It wasn't much longer when he had his palms covered, and then he touched his cheek to see my reaction. I asked him not to paint on Ben, and he went back to the paper. . . . until he patted his bare tummy, and a fraction of a second later, he had red and orange streaks in his hair. I rushed him to the sink for a rinse, then we talked about keeping the paint on paper and went back for one more.

The final objet d'arte was created with paper, paint, marbles, fingers, and a Hot Wheels car to drive through the "mud." We finished up in time for lunch and, somehow, I got him to nap for a bit before we went for the other kids.

Heard this one?

Here are some snippets of conversations from around here in the last few days. Not huge stories, just the little words spoken softly. . .

Ben said to me -- "Me more please cereal"
I am tickled by his sentence structure. It really is exciting to hear the kids start stringing words together to create sentences.

In the car this morning, Maddie said, "I love Daddy!" shortly followed by "I love Mama!" Next she pointed to me and said, "Mama!" Then Will explained to her that he was "Brother." She echoed with a sweet "bodder" -- It sounded a bit like Winnie the Pooh when he says, "Oh, bother." Then Will said, "I'm a brother, Jon's a brother, Ben's a brother, you are a sister." Maddie wasn't happy about that. She quickly whined out, "NO! I'm princess!" Will and I got a good laugh out of that, which unfortunately/fortunately will fuel her highness' ego. Of course, Will had to also try to get her to repeat it. . . .

Tonight at dinner, Ben was touching his head, and said, "Head?. . . shoulders?" with the look on his face that needed assurance that he got them right. Before Allen or I could respond, Maddie piped up ". . . Knees!" and Jon immediately finished with "Toes!" Allen and I swapped an eye-sparkle and smirk that said a lot . . . they are learning; they are remembering; they are singing; they just completed an entire stanza of a song, not alone, but together; together they are more than the sum of their parts. Then we snapped out of that moment when Allen had to tell Jon to get the fork out of his toes.

I've reviewed some of my recent blog entries and realized everything seems to be about Princess Maddie lately. Rest assured, I do still have my three wonderful boys. Each of the kids seems to go through stages that they are more photogenic, more vocal, more active, or just sillier. Sometimes these stages overlap, sometimes they stand alone. Maddie is going through a princess-PHASE. I am using the word "phase" to convince myself it will end someday. It isn't that I don't want her thinking she is special, treasured, and beautiful; it's that she clearly believes the world revolves around her right now. And before you tell me, "Oh, she's just a typical two-year old," let me remind you I have two others the same age.

Although Ben, Jon, and Will have their moments of wanting to be the center of attention, Maddie expects it all the time. She must be the one on my lap anytime I am sitting; she must be the one to choose the book for all her brothers to hear; she must select her own "princess shoes" each day; she must be the one to carry the purple lunchbag to school; she must have everything in pink or purple, and all pink or purple is hers; she must get the seat at the table she wants; she must have her hair brushed just right and a bow added so she can take it out; and oh, the heavens will fall if I don't remember the chapstick on the day she wants "priddy wips". And when things don't go her way, even just a little bit off, she throws herself on the floor screaming and wailing until one of her brothers gets tired of the noise and gives her what she wants. Yup, the brothers are tending the flames of her temper. Allen and I are getting used to choosing our battles and ignoring the tirades, but she still reminds us daily, "I'm princess."

Jon is a busy little guy with lots of animated facial expressions. You rarely have to guess what mood he is in, you just have to look at his face. Happy, sad, mad, grumpy, curious, frustrated, thoughtful, loving, silly, whatever it may be, he scrunches his eyebrows, crinkles his nose, and twists his lips. Nearly every time he sees me, he sternly tells me (as if I should already know this), "HUNGY!" If I don't respond immediately, he gets my attention and tells me, "Want food!" He is quite demanding, and always hungry. When he eats, he takes his sweet time and makes sure each morsel is properly set upon his fork before eating it. When the crumbs drop to the table, he gets exclussively occupied by brushing them off the side of the table into his other palm. Jon likes to do things by himself and for himself -- he still likes to buckle his seatbelt, he wants to put on his shoes and socks, and he doesn't like holding my hand when we walk through stores or go up stairs. "No. I-self," is his response as he shrugs away from me. Naptime? "No Way!" Well, he does snooze a few afternoons a week. The other times, he manages to get the drawers dumped and play dress up. . . often in Maddie's crib, waking her up. Yesterday I found him TWICE in her crib while she slept, and one of those times he had on his shirt and jeans, a striped dress, a set of flowered bloomers, a bib with a truck on it, a pair of shorts on his head, and he was trying to get another set of pants on over all of that. Jon likes putting clothes on and taking them off. He also likes to sort toys by style or color, stack blocks as high as he can, and line up cars or Little People in very straight lines. That's Jon.

And then there is our cheerful little Ben. Almost always with a big grin and sparking brown eyes. Ben looks a lot (to me) like Allen did at this age. Add that to the orneriness that he also shares with his Daddy, and it's hard not to imagine that this must be what it was like when Allen was a two-year old. Ben is working hard at talking. Although he can often clearly communicate with me, other times, he sits next to me, looks into my eyes, and just starts chattering. He can go on and on and on without a single distinguishable syllable. It is mesmerizing to me, yet a bit frustrating to him that I don't have a clue what adventures he's just described. He calmly repeats it all to me when I say, "What?" Ben gets a lot of joy out of saying "I" (then he waits until we repeat "I") He continues: "Love" (repeat "Love") Then he shouts, "YOU!" I love it, he loves that I love it, so it continues. The last few days, his sense of humor debuted as he turned his sentences into "I love Santa!" When I repeat "Santa" he giggles and shouts, "Ho! Ho! Ho!" I'm not sure why it's Santa, but Ben thinks it is hilarious. As I mentioned a few days ago, Ben has been saying his numbers. I still get such a kick out of that. Ben likes to busy himself with trucks and animals, and lately, he prefers playing by himself in a room away from the other kids.

Will is growning up way to fast. Most days I am worn out and exhausted by the time Allen gets home. Even with three two-year olds underfoot, Will takes more of my patience and energy than the others put together. I think it is that he is too much like me -- he likes to make his own decisions and he is determined to do things his way. When a five-year old and a mama each expect things to be done a certain way and those ways don't match, sparks fly and my patience flies away with the sparks. Many days I am anxious for kindergarten just so I know there will be a little more peace during the day, but then I get choked up thinking about him being gone all day. There is still so much to love about being home with him. Will loves creating whether its a scrapbook page, a robot, a bird, or chocolate-peppermint parfaits. He enjoys learning, but hates to admit it. According to him, "school stinks," and he would watch TV all day if I would let him. When I do let him watch TV I try to choose the shows that are somewhat educational. He has a large vocabulary that he exercises regularly. Rather than telling me a puzzle is "hard" he says "this is challenging." Just like with the little kids, I am finding his language-development "fascinating" -- another word he uses often. Will is a great big brother. Tonight he patiently counted with Ben, holding up his fingers as he said the numbers and Ben repeated them. He helped Maddie get her jacket on this morning and then spent ten minutes trying to zip it up for her. He has quite a buddy in Jon, his partner in crime, his fellow non-napper, his protege and scapegoat. I often find Will reading to Jon when they are supposed to be napping in separate rooms. As patient as he can be, Will sometimes gets frustrated with the little kids easily. They have learned to goad him to make him mad. When Will tell's knock-knock jokes, they quickly catch on to the words. From the backseat we hear the little ones say, "Knock-knock." When Will replies, "Who's there?" they repeat, "Knock-knock,""Who's there?""Knock-knock," (giggle, giggle), "WHO'S THERE?", "Knock-knock," (giggle, giggle, giggle), "WILL YOU TELL ME THE REST OF THE JOKE? WHO'S THERE!?!""Knock-knock," (giggle, giggle, giggle), "MAMA!" We can't get him to understand that the babies don't know what a joke is, and that they think it's funny to make him mad. The joke is that it all happens again thirty minutes later, and the babies laugh and laugh, and Will ends up really mad. . . again. Yes, he is a lot like his Mama, and he is definitely growning up too fast.

Princess, Fevers, and Daffylions

I am beginning to wonder if I'll ever be caught up -- on the blog, on the laundry, on vacuuming, on everything. Last week was crazy -- we seemed to pass around a bug. After we got back from Austin, Maddie had a few feverish days, followed by Ben, the Will got hit hard. Well, maybe it's just that he could tell us about it; whereas, the toddlers could only fuss and sleep.

Last Saturday (2/21) after I posted the garden pictures, Allen took me out for a wonderful dinner at a restaurant we hadn't tried before. Then we did something we haven't done since our senior prom -- we went to a dance! Our ballroom dance class instructor hosts a dance each month, and this was the first time we had a sitter and were in town and able to go. We had a good time, but I forgot most of the steps -- next time we go dancing, I'll skip the margarita -- I blame the drink.

Last Sunday morning while we waited for our family, Maddie asked for her princess dress and flower. I put on her tutu and put the flower in her hair and she pranced around. As soon as Ben and Jon saw her, they ran to her and said "Madnie pretty!" Yup -- both of them telling her what she already knew. After a bit, Randy and Shelley and Grandma Ann came to our house. They were bringing Grandma Ann to visit a friend nearby, but stopped to see us, enjoy lunch and birthday cake, and help Allen cut a tree apart. Allen had surprised me with a VERY YUMMY carrot cake just a few days early. It was a short, but fun visit and isn't it always fun to celebrate a birthday?

Tuesday was my birthday -- my fourth annual celebration of my 29th birthday. Will asked how old I was and I couldn't bring myself to say. I finally said we were celebrating my 29th birthday, but I was born 32 years ago. Seriously? What is my problem with my age? Never mind.

It turned out my birthday was a bit miserable. Or rather, I was miserable on my birthday. It wasn't the number so much as it was that my parents called to say "Happy Birthday." And it wasn't the call that upset me, it was the redecorating the kids did WHILE I was on the phone. When I discovered the dozen or so holes in my walls, Will tried convincing me that Ben did it. We finally got a bit more of the truth when he told us that he was making different shapes [holes] with the GeoTrax buildings. Needless to say, I was LIVID! For some reason I couldn't get over it to enjoy the day, plus I wasn't feeling great. A funny note, though. We were having pizza for dinner, and Jon pushed his plate to me and said "More please." I got him some more. Next Maddie shoved her plate my way and demanded, "More!" I asked her to find a nicer way to ask, and she restated her demand but added a cheesy grin and tipped her head to the side, "More pizza! I'm princess!" I choked back the laughter and explained that princesses have nice manners, and she finally caught on that I wanted a "please." Where do they get this stuff and how do I fix it?

I did manage a smile for a birthday picture. It is the first time I've actually seen a picture of me and noticed the difference. I know it was me, but I almost didn't recognize it.

Wednesday was Will's day with me. Sadly, I was still hung up on the wall-situation, but I tried not to let him know. We dropped off the little kids then came home to tidy up and scrapbook. He was in heaven -- he got to pick papers from my scrap pile and he created his own pages for a scrapbook. He kept telling me how much fun he was having scrapbooking with me, so I guess it turned out fine. We joined Allen for lunch, then picked up the kids. Later that night, Will had a fever of over 102, so I knew my Thursday plans would be altered slightly. That night while I was dealing with a sick five-year old, Allen bathed the two-year olds. It wasn't long until I heard him shout to come help and bring the camera. Allen had dried and dressed Maddie, and while he was getting Ben's pjs on him, Maddie went back over to the tub and climbed in. Jon, happy to have a playmate back, gleefully dumped cups of water over her head. She was mad. Very mad!

Thursday was Maddie's day, but since Will still had a bit of a fever, he came along, too. We met Grandma Ann and family friend, Barbara, and the five of us went back to the daffodil gardens. I am so glad we did because this was one of the most beautiful places on earth. The hillsides were covered in millions of yellow blooms. Maddie loved it, but she is the kid that loves flowers. She spent so much time just gazing into the individual flowers. We had to call to her to get her to move to another one. Later that night, she was excited to tell Daddy she saw "Daffy-lions!" and we couldn't help but giggle at that. We probably will all end up calling daffodils daffy-lions just so we don't forget her made-up word. After a day with no fever, and Will acting mostly fine, his fever spiked to 103.3 and I tucked him in with a bit of Tylenol.

Friday, Grandma Ann read to the kids while I tried to get laundry done so I could pack. That evening, Allen and I, the kids and Grandma Ann all went to Allen's parents for the weekend. Saturday morning we all went to see Elmo's Green Thumb, a Sesame Street show for the kids. The kids all enjoyed it, and all the adults enjoyed watching the kids. Randy, Shelley, Ann, Jason, Jenn, Allen & I and the kids all went out for lunch then returned to the house for playtime and naptime. Somewhere along the week, I think I ended up with part of what Will had. I had the headaches, and the coughing, sore through, stuffy nose parts anyway.

Today, I am feeling a little better, but I'm frustrated that I don't have much of a voice. We celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday today by reading lots of Dr. Seuss books, coloring Cat-in-the-Hat pages, then making green eggs and ham for the kids for lunch. They are all napping right now and I'm trying to get caught up on a few things.

One last note since I don't want to forget: Jon calls his sister "Mad'line" now. It's "Mad'line's cup," "Mad'line's chair,""Mad'line's blanket,""Mad'line's fault." The other day I was playing with Little People and asked where the princess was (meaning the toy), he looked around, pointed at his sister, and said, "Mad'line." Just cute that it's not "Madnie" right now. . .

Until I get a round TUIT

Eventually, I'll make a bit more time to explain what we've been up to, but not right now. Enjoy some pictures from this week just to give you a little taste. . .

Photo Challenge: SIGNS OF SPRING

Here is my next entry for Brenda's Photo Challenge. The theme this time was Signs of Spring and we took just the outing to provide some. When I was looking for things to do with the kids, I came upon a listing for this garden in East Texas. We took the trip out today even though we knew there was a chance we wouldn't get to go in; the garden is closed when the roads are wet, and today was rainy. I am thrilled that we got to see part of it though, and I can't wait to go back again in the next few weeks. It was beautiful -- it looked like God spilled a huge can of yellow paint over this little part of the world as there were so many daffodils. As for the rain, it did spoil the four-mile drive through the gardens, but I think it added a bit more spring-flavor to the pictures.

As we let the kids get out of the car to look around, Ben showed us the "stars" he kept seeing -- turns out there were miniscule purple and blue flowers sprinkled on the grass we were walking on. Against the dark grass, they did look like stars.

Speaking of Ben, last night he surprised me to tears. You'd think this kid would quit surprising this Mama, but wonders never cease. When the kids need to be (ahem. . .) prompted to action, we sternly count "one. . . two. . . three." All the kids know that when we get to three, there are consequences. Last night at dinner, Ben was climbing across the table, and was asked to sit. When he didn't, we reminded him then started counting. As Allen said, "One!" Ben scurried back to his sitting position, then Maddie proudly piped up, ". . . Choo! Tree!" (that's her 2 and 3). So we started working on numbers. I'd say "One" and wait for someone to fill in the next one. Ben spoke first, "Two, Three, . . . Four, Fi!" We had no idea he could do it -- never heard him peep any number other than his age. Today he said "Two! Three! Four! Fi! Thix! Eight!" Still brings tears to my eyes, but I can't explain why.

What's Dat?

Yesterday was Jon's day. Since the kids fight over who gets to hold the lunchbox on school days, I petitioned my mom for some of her free ones that were stashed in her pantry. Jon, Maddie, and Ben gleefully carried lunch-bags as we walked into the church yesterday. I dropped off Will, Ben, and Maddie, and since Jon still had a lunch-bag, he was still happy . . . until I buckled him in his seatbelt. Oh, the meltdown, the tears, the sobs! But they quickly faded when we walked into a sweet little bakery and picked up a cinnamon twist to share. (That stop wasn't planned, but I had forgotten the museum didn't open until 10 and we had a few minutes to spare.) Next we went to a wildlife museum -- I grew up in a museum (that's where my dad worked) and this one didn't really fit MY idea of a museum, but it was just perfect for a little kid -- and it was free.

Jon and I spent about an hour and a half looking at the "stuffed" animals -- three lions, no tigers, lots of bears, oh my! Each exhibit we approached, I heard, "What's dat?" and I would tell him. Then he'd rush to the next diorama. Guess what was the most interesting to Jon. . . the lights. . . the rocks. After a few of the first animals, he'd rush to the next and say, "Mama! Look rock!" with such amazement then, he'd ask "What's dat?" After many, many, many enthusiastic wows from me over the rocks, he started showing me all the lights. The animals still captured his attention, but not nearly as much as the rocks and lights that were part of their displays. In the photo above, Jon is looking at the display lights on the back side of the case, not the animal.

We stopped at the playground for a short playtime -- fortunately it was a sunny day; unfortunately, it hadn't warmed up enough to be comfortable yet. The next stop in our adventurous day was Daddy's office. This time we weren't picking Allen up for lunch, but we had brought a picnic. Still too chilly for sitting in the grass, we huddled together in the van to eat, and Jon still thought that was pretty special. We went inside for a short bit and Jon loved acting like Daddy -- sitting in a big chair at a big desk, frowning thoughtfully as his little fingers danced over the computer keyboard making the little tappity-taps. Then he'd check to see if we noticed he was being like Daddy, and when he saw we noticed, he just giggled and started the act again.

The final stop was the grocery store to get Mama's much needed coffee -- I hate running out, and only one store in town carries what I like. As we wandered through the store, Jon was thrilled that he was carrying the coffee. When I told him what it was, he pretended to slurp it and kept saying "copfee, ahhhh!" Hmm. Yeah. He's my son. He thought that was pretty silly, too. We gathered the other kiddos and headed home for chaotic playtime until Daddy got home. Will made this card for him at school today, and it brought such a smile to Allen's face.

It was a fun day. I know I've mentioned how much I enjoy the one-kid days. It isn't that the other days aren't enjoyable, they usually are. It is just such a different experience getting to know one child, getting to enjoy one child, and getting to make just one child so very happy. I've thought about the joy the "Daddy I Love You" card brought to us here, and I realized that parents just don't hear (or read) "I love you" enough. So, for my parents -- Mom, Dad, Shelley, Randy, I LOVE YOU!