Who Would Have Kids Like That?

I used to wonder random things. 

Like who would allow their children to write on walls or doors?!  What the heck were those parents doing when those kids were armed with writing devices?

Can you hear me sighing?

Now I know.

Those parents are distracted by the mountains of papers brought home by the school age kids.  The incessant demands for snacks for people of all sizes.  The need to prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Attempts to keep up on the washing, folding, and putting away of laundry.  Transporting people of all ages to all the places they need to go.  Trying to work, just a little.  And maybe even a few guilty vacant stares wondering if 6pm is too early for bedtime on particularly challenging days.

I know this because I have a little tagger.

There's really no question who it is.

The markings are all at her level and are very emphatic little jabs of color. 

Much like the artist herself.

I should buy stock in Mr. Clean Magic Erase.  Hmmm maybe pinterest.com has a way to make it yourself.  I bet it's on there...

Another thing I used to wonder, even when I was in a few kids deep...

Who could possibly leave a floater in the toilet without a shred of paper?!

Not only is it disgusting to drop that kid in the pool and walk away (!) but the thought that there was no clean-up involved was revolting to me.

Now it's a normal, every day occurrence.

I'm not sure if those little droppers have some sort of sensor for the clean drop and one that needs a little paperwork to accompany it or not. 

I've really only found one rather soiled pair of undies. 

So they must have some innate sense of knowing.

I don't know.

But now, in our house, it's normal. 

And I'm over it. 

I just flush and move on without giving it a second thought. 

Ok maybe a little wonderment is there still...

I wonder what else will fail to surprise me or gross me out when this parenting adventure slows down a bit...

And you want to see a close call?

As I was literally racing around the house (it must have been my 4th dash upstairs in 5 minutes) trying to get the big kids on the bus and the little ones ready to hit the gym with me when I started down the stairs and noticed that the lamp was on in the boys' room.  I was tempted (I'll admit) to leave it on and run but I went back in to turn it off to save power while we were gone.

Guess what I found?!

I know, you never know now that I've filled your head with floaters and graffiti...

Yikes!

Here's a close up

I could smell it smoking.

Oh the "what ifs"!

That was a close one.

And in closing.  Guess who finally, after a whole week of crazy-snowy-icy-power-outages, got his replacement fishy?

Here's Charlie after kissing his fishy "Reddy soft tail" good night.  Our own little St. Francis of Assisi.

My fingers are crossed that power stays on tonight.  The wind is blowing so hard that it's knocking the porch swings into the house and the lights are flickering.

Lord, I love my children more than anything in the world but I have a massage appointment tomorrow and there is no wiggle room in my schedule for late start!  A massage is well earned after the past week of snow days and craziness!

Sad Boy Saying Good Bye to Fishy

For Christmas Charlie, my animal lover, got a kit that grows some pre-historic fish before your eyes.

He was so VERY excited to have his own pet.

He hounded Mark to set it up ASAP.

Then we waited.

And waited.

And waited.

After about 3 weeks I was done waiting and took him to pick out his very own fishy.

He selected a beautiful black half-moon beta (the most expensive darn beta fish they had at Petco), but I couldn't deny him.  He had waited so patiently for those rotten pre-historic eggs to turn into fishes.

He was on cloud nine for a good chunk of time after bringing fishy home.

He went through a few names- Fasty was the one that stuck in my mind but just this morning he called him Bob.  I don't know.  But he LOVED that fishy.

He was so cute zipping down the stairs straight to fishy to check him out each morning.

Except this morning, he was distracted by the snow.

Thank goodness.

Because when I checked on Fasty, he was pointing nose down and lifeless.

So, quickly- while Charlie was frolicking in the snow I called Petco to find out about their 30 day money back policy (it was the most expensive beta...)  The lovely lady informed me that I did need to bring little Fasty in as proof that he has departed this world.

Clueless about what to do with the little guy she suggested I put him in a ziploc baggie with a little water and pop him in the freezer until we could bring him in for an exchange.

So, I cleaned up all evidence of Fasty's existence before Charlie came in. 

After he came inside tt took a short while before he asked, "Where's my fishy?"

I knew the question was coming.

I took a deep breath and looked him in the eye.

"Sweet boy, he went to Heaven." was all I could say.

That baby's face crumbled and he sobbed the most heartfelt sob a little boy could let out and it broke my heart, knowing how excited he was to have his very own pet.

After a few minutes of crying he asked, "It was his turn to go to Heaven?"

I nodded yes.

Then he wiped his eyes and ambled off to play.

I thought that was it.

But tonight he has been crying out like his leg is broken every 10 minutes.

I know his grief is real and raw enough that it's seeping into his little dreams.

I hope replacement Fasty is good enough to take his mind off of his loss.

And I'll be bracing myself for the day it's Hunter's turn to go to Heaven.

I'm tempted to bring him up a fresh cookie I just made.  S'mores cookies, I'd love to put a little sweetness in his mouth to ease the bitter taste that must be there.

Now it's time to run up and snuggle a little boy before his next sobbing session.

Ferber the second week

Miss Elsa has been sleeping in her bed all night long for over a week now.

Some nights she wakes up more than others.

Last night she stood proudly at my bedside at 1am.

"Hey guys!  I slept in my bed all night long," she announced proudly.

Umm, not really missy.

I put her back in bed to try to go until morning.

She came back at 2am.

Sorry little one, still not morning.

When she returned at 5:20am (for the second morning in a row...) I got up with her.

If I pulled her into bed with me, I know two things: 1) She'd fall back asleep until 7am (which would be dreamy) but 2) she'd start sneaking in earlier and earlier until we're right back where we started.

So, I'm pulling the 5am shifts again.  I remember doing it with Sarina then Carl when they were this age.  I have no recollection of Charlie doing this.

Eventually, she'll revert back to sleeping to a reasonable hour.

I hope.

Maybe.

My college roommate who consistently woke up at a ridiculously early hour (which was probably only 6:30am but felt ungodly back in the day) is now a doctor.  She's such a fantastic achiever that (hold on while I brag about my friend for a moment...) while attending medical school at a fantastic school she trained for and ran a full marathon, planted a vegetable garden that produced, and learned to knit then knit Sarina a baby sweater when she was born.

So, if I have to suffer through 5am mornings with my kids it'll be worth it if they're successful in life.

I'd rather sleep until a respectable 7am and not speak a word until I have at least a half a cup of coffee in me.

But that's just me...

And I'm certainly not a doctor.

I just stumbled across this article on linkedin.  The early riser bit has always been an assumption on my part, now I have proof.

School Assignment

So, I was going through Sarina's school folder and stumbled across this little beauty.

I have got to find out what the heck the assignment was that inspired this beautifully honest and colorful narrative.

Poor Charlie, he gets picked on a little too much for things he can't control.

Each little person has their own special flavor.

I think they'd each taste sweet with varying degrees of saltiness.

Love those little buggers.

Ferber Method Night #4

She woke up...

JUST ONE TIME

it was 1am.

I put her back in her bed.

She asked where I was going.

Then settled back to sleep.

Hallelujah.

I was able to get up at 6:15am and shower without worrying about a little magnet crying out because she lost the warm body she was snuggled up to.

She woke up with a big smile on her face.

I think she's as proud of herself as I am of both of us.

Thanks to the early rising, I was able to make fresh waffles for the kids for breakfast!

(Except that one just wanted cereal and another wanted eggs.  Can't please them all...)

But, yay for 2012, so far so good!

Ferber Method Night #3

My eyelids feel 3 feet thick and grainy.

It's gloomy weather outside.

And Elsa cried for over an hour from 1am to 2am last night.

I think I'm getting a sinus infection.

But baby girl was in her bed until 7am this morning (when she slipped into my bed and I was too tired to fight it).

I hope that's not a set-back.

We're close.

I know it.

Night #2 of the Ferber Method

Worked just like he claims.

She went to bed nicely.

She slept longer without waking.

When she did wake she fussed for just a few minutes.

She woke up around 1am saying she was hungry.  I gave her cold water (we know she likes it cold). 

She just whimpered in her bed for a short time then fell back asleep after a few minutes of calling for me.  I just "sh sh shhhh'd" her from the hallway and she fell back asleep.

The second waking was around 4am and was even easier.  Maybe because it was the second time I was awoken from a deep sleep and I was more out of it.

But I see light at the end of the tunnel.

A little predictability in our nighttime is in our very near future.

Amen.

Now, to unstick the little big one who's stuck to me like glue with more separation anxiety than ever.

But I'm working on that as well.

Future is bright.

Kids are healthy.

And we're moving along one day at a time.

First Night Ferber

Written last night, on my phone, while sitting in the hallway outside Elsa's bedroom:

Mommy

Mama

Come back here!

I'm scared

I'm cold

I want to tell you sumpting

I want cold water

I want to put my robe on

I want to 'nuggle you.

It's 10:55pm and she's whimpering like crazy girl.

Her ploys are good- from authoritative demands to sad, sad requests.

Can you come in my bedroom?

Are you in the laundry room? 

It started off great. 

She fell asleep like a charm, alone in her bedroom (with lots of pep talks and reassurance- of course).

Then 10:30, or so, just as I was drifting off... it starts. 

Hey mama. 

Mama? 

Mommy? 

Big hiccups. 

I know this works in the long run but I'm ready to skip forward a few days to the smoother sailing. 

Now, I'm second guessing myself.  Is this going to knock off all her little self confidence- because I don't rush to her when she sounds the saddest I've ever heard her? 

I remember doing the tough love with my firstborn at 5 or 6 months. 

It was absolute torture. 

She was just pulling herself to standing in her crib then would get stranded and cry a terrified cry.  She fought sleeping alone so hard, that she would fall asleep sitting up.  I remember sobbing along with her, my heart racing, feeling sheer torture. 

This time around I just feel sad. 

So sad for that beautiful little baby who isn't giving up without a fight. 

I'm here sweet girl. 

Listening to your every move,

your every breath,

your every ploy,

your every whimper.

I'm doing this for both of us.

Because I love you so much sweet pea.

Postscript: Today she's her normal, self-assured little self.  Funny how in the night you question yourself.  Fingers crossed tonight is less than the 2 hour long crying of last night...  But all in all it was not nearly as bad as it could have been.  She fell asleep uneventfully, on her own, then cried off and on from 10:30pm until midnight.  Then up two more times with only one crying session in there.  She slept until 7am.  Please let this work, please let this work, please let this work.