Wilmington seems to be one of the last cities in the country that still has a wide variety of independent radio stations. We take advantage and always have the radio on in the car, and often in the house too. There are about four stations we listen to regularly, but it's classic rock that always catches the kids attention. And somehow they are able to put images with the music. We were eating at Red Robin one night over the summer when Michael glances up at a poster and said, "Hey! It's the Beatles!" (I do believe we are raising him right.)
Here are a few of my favorite moments from driving in the car with the kids this weekend.
Ree: Is this, "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds?"
Me: No. It's...(listening)..."Wheel in the Sky Keeps Turning."
I don't know if I said it wrong, or she heard it wrong, but she then said:
Ree: Shouldn't it be "keeps" and not "keep? A wheel "keeps" turning.
Me: You're right.
Before I could elaborate, the chorus came on, and we both listened. It was "keeps." She sat back in her seat, relieved. And I made a mental note to keep the grammar Nazi-in-training away from country and rap.
Ree and Michael spent at least ten minutes debating the lyrics of "You Might Think" by the cars. Michael would sing a line, and Ree would correct him. Over and over. The funniest part? She never had the lyrics right. I decided not to step in and correct her. For now they can keep singing:
You might think I'm crazy.
All I want is you.
You might think I'm foolish.
To hang around at school.
And my absolute favorite was all four kids singing "Werewolves of London" at the top of their lungs. Even Natalia howled along to the chorus. Oww-ooooh!
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Saturday, September 29, 2012
The Doll
Ree got a baby doll for her birthday, which Natalia assumed meant Natalia got a baby doll for Ree's birthday. Thankfully, Ree is willing to share.
The doll looks pretty realistic, and it even makes six exciting real baby noises. As with real babies, we occasionally get it to coo or giggle, but it mostly just cries. Natalia likes carrying the doll around and feeding it until it cries. Then she finds a parental unit to help. One night she handed Jeff the doll while it was crying. When it didn't see to do anything about the crying, she rolled her eyes and said, "Bottle." Apparently she thought Jeff was sufficiently trained, because she usually takes him the doll and the bottle when the doll cries.
But one day when he wasn't around, the doll started crying. She yelled, "Mommmmm!" and then thrust the doll at me and commanded, "Booba," her word for nursing. I guess that's how moms take care of crying babies.
The doll looks pretty realistic, and it even makes six exciting real baby noises. As with real babies, we occasionally get it to coo or giggle, but it mostly just cries. Natalia likes carrying the doll around and feeding it until it cries. Then she finds a parental unit to help. One night she handed Jeff the doll while it was crying. When it didn't see to do anything about the crying, she rolled her eyes and said, "Bottle." Apparently she thought Jeff was sufficiently trained, because she usually takes him the doll and the bottle when the doll cries.
But one day when he wasn't around, the doll started crying. She yelled, "Mommmmm!" and then thrust the doll at me and commanded, "Booba," her word for nursing. I guess that's how moms take care of crying babies.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Movies and the Beach, Oh My!
Remember how your mother always told you if you didn't have anything nice to say, you shouldn't say anything at all? That's how I feel about last weekend. It wasn't all horrible, but it certainly wasn't sunshine and rainbows either. Lots of screaming and crying. And that was just the grown ups! It seemed like no one was happy and none of us could get along.
So we took a different approach this weekend. Jeff and Natalia ran errands on Tuesday and Thursday so that we would actually (gasp!) have time for fun on the weekend. I normally enjoy shopping, and running errands in general, but Natalia has sucked all of the fun out of that, so I wasn't too sad to turn those duties over.
On Friday night, I took Ree to see Brave which was playing at the movie theater on campus. She's been to the movies a few times before - with Jeff, with my mom, and with a friend, but I had never been to a movie with her, so that was exciting for me. And being that it was about a mom and daughter, it was a perfect movie for us. Plus it was nice and dark in there, so it wasn't quite so obvious that I am a complete wuss and cry at everything. Adding to the fun, the movie was sponsored jointly by a film club and a Scottish heritage society. Consequently, we were greeted with live music performed by a bagpipe player, and there was a contest for best Scottish brogue before the movie. We both enjoyed the festivities.
On Saturday morning, we went to the beach. And we had a good time.
So serene...
Until a wave tried to attack him!
Meanwhile everyone else played in the sand.
It turns out boogie boards make great boats for the preschool set.
Michael requested a picture of his feet.
And his footprints. In the dry sand.
I left the beach feeling more relaxed that I've felt in a long time. In months. In my deliriously content state, I suggested we stop for Mexican food on the way home. We hadn't gone out to eat since Ree's birthday in August, and it seemed like a good time to splurge. Unfortunately, I think Natalia had other ideas. She was, well, I am going to refer back to the first paragraph and stop there. I will say at least the food was good.
So we took a different approach this weekend. Jeff and Natalia ran errands on Tuesday and Thursday so that we would actually (gasp!) have time for fun on the weekend. I normally enjoy shopping, and running errands in general, but Natalia has sucked all of the fun out of that, so I wasn't too sad to turn those duties over.
On Friday night, I took Ree to see Brave which was playing at the movie theater on campus. She's been to the movies a few times before - with Jeff, with my mom, and with a friend, but I had never been to a movie with her, so that was exciting for me. And being that it was about a mom and daughter, it was a perfect movie for us. Plus it was nice and dark in there, so it wasn't quite so obvious that I am a complete wuss and cry at everything. Adding to the fun, the movie was sponsored jointly by a film club and a Scottish heritage society. Consequently, we were greeted with live music performed by a bagpipe player, and there was a contest for best Scottish brogue before the movie. We both enjoyed the festivities.
On Saturday morning, we went to the beach. And we had a good time.
So serene...
Until a wave tried to attack him!
Meanwhile everyone else played in the sand.
It turns out boogie boards make great boats for the preschool set.
Michael requested a picture of his feet.
And his footprints. In the dry sand.
I left the beach feeling more relaxed that I've felt in a long time. In months. In my deliriously content state, I suggested we stop for Mexican food on the way home. We hadn't gone out to eat since Ree's birthday in August, and it seemed like a good time to splurge. Unfortunately, I think Natalia had other ideas. She was, well, I am going to refer back to the first paragraph and stop there. I will say at least the food was good.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Potty Trained!
A few weeks ago we passed an amazing milestone, one so momentous I was terrified to write about it for fear of jinxing it. For the first time since October 2008, we are down to just one kid in diapers. It is a good thing. A very, very good thing.
When Ree got out of diapers, I rejoiced. Life would be easier! We would save money! And life was easier, but then I wrote her first tuition check to preschool the following week. Doh. So I knew not to get too excited about the money savings this time around, which is good since it turns out I have to write a bigger check to send two kids to a church preschool two days a week than I had to write for my half of the rent in most of the places I lived when I was single. (Yes, it was the Midwest, and yes, it was, um, awhile ago, but still...)
The one expense I really did not anticipate? Since the boys have given up diapers, I think we now spend as much money on toilet paper as we previously did on diapers.
Still, it's totally worth it.
When Ree got out of diapers, I rejoiced. Life would be easier! We would save money! And life was easier, but then I wrote her first tuition check to preschool the following week. Doh. So I knew not to get too excited about the money savings this time around, which is good since it turns out I have to write a bigger check to send two kids to a church preschool two days a week than I had to write for my half of the rent in most of the places I lived when I was single. (Yes, it was the Midwest, and yes, it was, um, awhile ago, but still...)
The one expense I really did not anticipate? Since the boys have given up diapers, I think we now spend as much money on toilet paper as we previously did on diapers.
Still, it's totally worth it.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Picasso?
On Mondays, I work a half day from home, and this Monday was one of those days that worked exactly the way it was supposed to. (Shockingly, it can happen.) I floated between blocks of time for work and for being a mom, and, well, it was great. Among other things, the kids played outside for awhile after lunch. It was so nice to be able to be outdoors again but, of course, Michael quickly got bored.
That's when I broke out the outdoor craft supplies. I let them draw on the fence with sidewalk chalk. It had never occurred to me previously that sidewalk chalk could be used on vertical surfaces, but hey, it worked great. Leon made it his job to draw a line on every board.
Natalia alternated between scribbling on the fence and running through the yard with all the chalk.
And after months of frustration, Michael finally drew a person. It turns out all I had to do was to tell him to draw zeros and ones, and suddenly he was able to make the circles and lines that other kids are able to do at a much younger age. (He is such a math nerd. Already using binary.)
Here he is hard at work.
And here is the finished product.
I realize that at first glance it looks like a jellyfish. And it also does at second and third glance (unless you think it looks like a squid or possibly an octopus). But he tells me it's a person with really long legs. And I believe him.
That's when I broke out the outdoor craft supplies. I let them draw on the fence with sidewalk chalk. It had never occurred to me previously that sidewalk chalk could be used on vertical surfaces, but hey, it worked great. Leon made it his job to draw a line on every board.
Natalia alternated between scribbling on the fence and running through the yard with all the chalk.
And after months of frustration, Michael finally drew a person. It turns out all I had to do was to tell him to draw zeros and ones, and suddenly he was able to make the circles and lines that other kids are able to do at a much younger age. (He is such a math nerd. Already using binary.)
Here he is hard at work.
And here is the finished product.
I realize that at first glance it looks like a jellyfish. And it also does at second and third glance (unless you think it looks like a squid or possibly an octopus). But he tells me it's a person with really long legs. And I believe him.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Clifford Sighting
My mom has always wished for 25 hour days, and over the summer, it felt like we found that magical extra time. We started going to the beach with friends on Friday nights, and it was like our whole weekend opened up. Of course it threw our whole night off, and it was often 10:00 before we got everyone to bed (even though we typically left the beach by 7:15 or 7:30), but we were so used to our nights being nothing but dinner-dog walking-baths-snack-stories-teeth brushing-bed, that breaking out of the routine really felt like we were given extra time to spend together.
Over the last month or so, we've fall out of the habit of going to the beach, but we have still been doing stuff on Friday evenings when we can. This weekend we took the kids to see Clifford at Barnes & Noble. They were so excited they started jumping up and down as soon as they got out of the car. We really need to get out more.
(On a side note, they also started jumping up and down with excitement while inside Whole Foods today. We really, really need to get out more.)
Since Clifford didn't arrive until the end of story time at 7:00, we arrived early so they could play before seeing Clifford. As usual, they were total enthralled by the wall of educational toys.
I tried taking pictures of Natalia in action, but every time she saw the flash, she looked up, grinned, and said in a fake Japanese accent, "Chee-zu!" I did catch her unaware at the train table.
When it was time for Clifford, the kids all ran to the book section. (Yes, we even occasionally go to the book section of the book store!) Then they proceeded to flip and flop all over while the poor woman working there attempted to read two Clifford stories. In their defense, the other kids were acting about the same. There was even a two-year-old who ran up during each and every page, pointed at the book, and shouted, "Clifford!" The woman with the book had the patience of a saint.
When Clifford came out, Natalia was in awe. She squirmed her way through the crowd to see him with me scrambling after her. Leon also gave him a hug. As for Michael and Ree, our super readers who love Clifford, they stayed in the back and watched from afar. It was safer back there. With the books.
Over the last month or so, we've fall out of the habit of going to the beach, but we have still been doing stuff on Friday evenings when we can. This weekend we took the kids to see Clifford at Barnes & Noble. They were so excited they started jumping up and down as soon as they got out of the car. We really need to get out more.
(On a side note, they also started jumping up and down with excitement while inside Whole Foods today. We really, really need to get out more.)
Since Clifford didn't arrive until the end of story time at 7:00, we arrived early so they could play before seeing Clifford. As usual, they were total enthralled by the wall of educational toys.
I tried taking pictures of Natalia in action, but every time she saw the flash, she looked up, grinned, and said in a fake Japanese accent, "Chee-zu!" I did catch her unaware at the train table.
When it was time for Clifford, the kids all ran to the book section. (Yes, we even occasionally go to the book section of the book store!) Then they proceeded to flip and flop all over while the poor woman working there attempted to read two Clifford stories. In their defense, the other kids were acting about the same. There was even a two-year-old who ran up during each and every page, pointed at the book, and shouted, "Clifford!" The woman with the book had the patience of a saint.
When Clifford came out, Natalia was in awe. She squirmed her way through the crowd to see him with me scrambling after her. Leon also gave him a hug. As for Michael and Ree, our super readers who love Clifford, they stayed in the back and watched from afar. It was safer back there. With the books.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Preschool Update
After two days of preschool, here is what Leon and Michael have shared with me:
On Tuesday they both ate all of their snacks. Today Michael ate his granola bar but he didn't finish his snack pack of Craisins. But Dad let him eat those in the car on the way home.
On the first day they sang "Wheels on the Bus" but on the second day they didn't.
They heard two stories today. No details were given as to titles or plots.
On Tuesday they both went potty twice. (Impressive, since they are only there for an hour and a half a day for the first two weeks.) Today Michael went potty twice and Leon went potty once.
There is only one potty in their classroom. (There are more potties down the hall. I fear the day they discover them.)
There is a girl in the classroom who wears Pull Ups but she calls them "panties." I am sincerely hoping the Pull Up wearing has nothing to do with the boys hogging the one potty in the classroom.
What they still cannot tell me: the names of any of their classmates or their teachers.
On Tuesday they both ate all of their snacks. Today Michael ate his granola bar but he didn't finish his snack pack of Craisins. But Dad let him eat those in the car on the way home.
On the first day they sang "Wheels on the Bus" but on the second day they didn't.
They heard two stories today. No details were given as to titles or plots.
On Tuesday they both went potty twice. (Impressive, since they are only there for an hour and a half a day for the first two weeks.) Today Michael went potty twice and Leon went potty once.
There is only one potty in their classroom. (There are more potties down the hall. I fear the day they discover them.)
There is a girl in the classroom who wears Pull Ups but she calls them "panties." I am sincerely hoping the Pull Up wearing has nothing to do with the boys hogging the one potty in the classroom.
What they still cannot tell me: the names of any of their classmates or their teachers.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
You Can Always Get What You Want
Natalia is a little strong willed. Um, let me rephrase. Natalia is one of the most stubborn, head strong, determined creatures ever to walk the face of this earth. I have to admit though, there is something to learn from her whether she is proving that she will sleep when and where she wants or she is demonstrating that, yes, she can do everything her siblings can do.
After the great house rearrangement, we ended up with a dresser full of craft supplies in the living room. This works out well as the three big kids can now get out paper, coloring books, crayons, and scissors whenever they want. (Okay, so it works well except for the time Leon decided to see if the scissors would cut the skin between his thumb and forefinger, and, hey! It worked! At least there were no stitches involved...)
Natalia, of course, has her own crayons and loves to color as much as the big kids. However we do keep the craft supplies above her head to minimize coloring on the walls, crayon eating, and other such madness. The other day the three big kids were coloring and Natalia asked to color. (By "asking" I mean she drug me over to the craft dresser, pointed at the construction paper, hit me, and grunted. Such great conversation skills.) I told her no, I was in the middle of something and I tried to distract her by letting her throw around the dirty laundry while I attempted to sort it.
Instead of her usual protest of "No, no, no, no, no!" she quietly toddled off. (I do love how she runs. She literally pitter-patters on our hard floors. It is adorable.) I should've known something was up, but I chose to repress all maternal instincts and continued on with the laundry fun. Our washer and dryer are in the garage, and when I came back in the house I saw that she was quietly playing on the floor. I looked over and realized she was coloring. I was a bit perplexed until I looked over by the dresser and saw that she'd drug the step stool from the bathroom to the craft dresser, climbed up, and gotten out paper and her crayons.
At that point she was sitting there so quietly, coloring just on the paper, that I left her. And she reminded me that if you think creatively, there is always a way to get what you want.
After the great house rearrangement, we ended up with a dresser full of craft supplies in the living room. This works out well as the three big kids can now get out paper, coloring books, crayons, and scissors whenever they want. (Okay, so it works well except for the time Leon decided to see if the scissors would cut the skin between his thumb and forefinger, and, hey! It worked! At least there were no stitches involved...)
Natalia, of course, has her own crayons and loves to color as much as the big kids. However we do keep the craft supplies above her head to minimize coloring on the walls, crayon eating, and other such madness. The other day the three big kids were coloring and Natalia asked to color. (By "asking" I mean she drug me over to the craft dresser, pointed at the construction paper, hit me, and grunted. Such great conversation skills.) I told her no, I was in the middle of something and I tried to distract her by letting her throw around the dirty laundry while I attempted to sort it.
Instead of her usual protest of "No, no, no, no, no!" she quietly toddled off. (I do love how she runs. She literally pitter-patters on our hard floors. It is adorable.) I should've known something was up, but I chose to repress all maternal instincts and continued on with the laundry fun. Our washer and dryer are in the garage, and when I came back in the house I saw that she was quietly playing on the floor. I looked over and realized she was coloring. I was a bit perplexed until I looked over by the dresser and saw that she'd drug the step stool from the bathroom to the craft dresser, climbed up, and gotten out paper and her crayons.
At that point she was sitting there so quietly, coloring just on the paper, that I left her. And she reminded me that if you think creatively, there is always a way to get what you want.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
(Another) First Day of School
It's hard to believe that these (really) little guys...
...started preschool today.
The boys actually got a practice run last week. On Thursday, all of the kids got to have a fifteen minute session alone with the teachers to check out the place and, most importantly, confirm the location of the bathroom. I had scheduled Leon and Michael for back-to-back sessions, but they let them both play in the classroom for the entire 30 minutes. They loved it. Ironically, it was Natalia who cried hysterically when it was time to leave.
Last night Michael had me tell him the schedule for today about 17 times since knowing EXACTLY what is going to happen is his way of dealing with stress. It must have worked because this morning when he woke up he came into our bedroom to use the bathroom and stage whispered, "We get to go to preschool today!" Michael, as usual, has verbal diarrhea and told Jeff all about his day as soon as Jeff picked him up. When I got home from work, Michael also told me all about his day. The highlight (repeated many, many times) was eating his snack.
Last night Nervous was so worried he just started jumping around his room when it was time to tuck him in. It was like the worries were just bursting out of him. I finally corralled him and got him to go to sleep. This morning he was still jumpy and so concerned he couldn't even utter one of his favorite phrases, "I can't stop freaking out!" He was pretty much a zombie. A bouncing zombie. Despite that, I think he had a great day. He told me there was a little boy at school who was "just like" him. And the boy sat on the other side of Michael (presumably during circle time). And, according to Leon who regularly blends fantasy and reality, Leon and the boy went on a field trip to a farm and the blue bus dropped Leon off at home after the field trip.
I think that's Leon's way of saying preschool rocks.
...started preschool today.
The boys actually got a practice run last week. On Thursday, all of the kids got to have a fifteen minute session alone with the teachers to check out the place and, most importantly, confirm the location of the bathroom. I had scheduled Leon and Michael for back-to-back sessions, but they let them both play in the classroom for the entire 30 minutes. They loved it. Ironically, it was Natalia who cried hysterically when it was time to leave.
Last night Michael had me tell him the schedule for today about 17 times since knowing EXACTLY what is going to happen is his way of dealing with stress. It must have worked because this morning when he woke up he came into our bedroom to use the bathroom and stage whispered, "We get to go to preschool today!" Michael, as usual, has verbal diarrhea and told Jeff all about his day as soon as Jeff picked him up. When I got home from work, Michael also told me all about his day. The highlight (repeated many, many times) was eating his snack.
Last night Nervous was so worried he just started jumping around his room when it was time to tuck him in. It was like the worries were just bursting out of him. I finally corralled him and got him to go to sleep. This morning he was still jumpy and so concerned he couldn't even utter one of his favorite phrases, "I can't stop freaking out!" He was pretty much a zombie. A bouncing zombie. Despite that, I think he had a great day. He told me there was a little boy at school who was "just like" him. And the boy sat on the other side of Michael (presumably during circle time). And, according to Leon who regularly blends fantasy and reality, Leon and the boy went on a field trip to a farm and the blue bus dropped Leon off at home after the field trip.
I think that's Leon's way of saying preschool rocks.
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