My special day

I faintly remember a time when my birthday was all about me. These days, it's all about keeping my kids' fingers off of the candles and out of my ice cream cake.

At least they still let me open my own presents.

...and the others, gold

Long before we were this...

March 2011

Abby Jean (3.5), Abby Mae (3.25)

We were this...

February 2008

Abby Jean (6 months), Abby Mae (3 months)

I guess that trip to see Rockncerous in concert on that chilly February day three years ago was technically our first play date. It would not be our last.

We didn't know back then just how close our girls would become. We didn't know they'd be best friends in spite of the dramatically different personalities they would grow into.

We didn't know back then that we each would very soon find ourselves pregnant again, or that our little boys would be born just three weeks apart.

And I didn't know just how much I would come to love my new dear friend and sister. I didn't know how we would rely on each other for babysitting emergencies ranging from doctors appointments to messy houses. I didn't know she would be the first person I would call when I suffered heartache or just needed someone to enjoy a beautiful day with.

I didn't know how rare it is, or what a blessing it would be to have someone walking in my exact same footsteps at the exact same time (and with kids on the exact same nap schedule). We could not be more different, and I still haven't forgiven her for that time she tried to get me to exercise with her (even though technically it was just a very long walk to get barbecue). But God has richly blessed me with her friendship, and I am grateful for the times our families spend together. (Especially MeatFest.)

Here's to many more years of co-parenting, early morning phone calls and crazy adventures.

Sweet dreams

When they bought this pack-n-play for us almost four years ago, my coworkers at the time could not have known just how useful it would be. It has been our most utilized piece of baby equipment, and many a child of mine would have been at a loss without it.

It was Abby's first bed when we welcomed her into our family. For three weeks, she called this little portable bed home while her crib sat in storage. We knew we'd be moving shortly after her arrival, and it seemed silly to set up a nursery for such a short period of time.

It was Caleb's bed whenever we had overnight guests that needed to use his room for their own sleepy kids. It fit perfectly into my closet, and he slept soundly in those cramped quarters with all my clothes hanging above him.

And it has served Jacob well for his first five months of life, first in my closet before being upgraded to a corner of the guest room. The mattress pad is beginning to sag, and the tiny bears on his mobile often go missing at the hands of his older siblings. But he sleeps like a charm here, and has never known any different.

He'll have a crib and a room of his own soon enough. But I think I'm going to miss these pack-n-play days a little.

With your heart in mind

Dear Abby,

You've loved Community Bible Study this year, and I realize that a big reason for that is how much CBS loves you. More specifically, how your teachers, especially Ms. Ruth Anne, have loved and cared for you.

When I spoke to Ruth Anne, she told me she'll miss having you in her class, and I realized as her eyes filled with tears just how much she loves you. She told me how special you are to her, and described what a delight you are to her and the class.

You're different, she told me, and I nodded, because I know. You can't sit still, but she knows that doesn't mean you're not listening, learning all the time. You always know the answers to the teachers' questions, she explained, though you may be standing on your head whenever you give your answer.

You're excited, that's all--for life, for learning--and she sees that in you.

"Don't let anyone take that from her," she made me promise. "Not the schools, not other kids. Who she is...it's something very special. You guard that, and don't let her lose it."

I promised her I would do just that.

And I promise you, sweet Abigail, that I will always encourage who you are, for this is who God made you. And I love it.

Love,

Mommy

Dapper

I'm great at starting projects. But when it comes to finishing them, I tend to fall short. So I'm intrigued by projects like this little tie tee shirt, especially when the instructions make it sound like something that can be completed during naptime, and include words like "super easy."

The shirts were a big hit with the boys. Justin already told Caleb he can wear his to church.

Our week, by the numbers

With the hacking coughs, the 2 a.m. fever spikes and the never-ending cycle of nasal suctioning going on around here, our family is pushing the limits of just how much two sick parents can handle without going totally insane. So far, we're holding steady at mildly crazy. If you do the math, you'll see why:

• 10 days spent indoors
• 9 doctor's visits
• 5 antibiotics
• 4 trips to the pharmacy
• 3 strep tests
• 3 ear infections
• 3 sinus infections
• 3 bottles of nasal saline spray
• 2 flu tests
• 1 bottle of children's ibuprofen
• 1 bottle of infant acetaminophen
• 1 episode of fever-induced delirium
• 1 neti pot

We're quarantined until further notice. With stats like these, you should be glad our family is staying home.

Carnivores

How much does Caleb love barbecue chicken legs?

Enough to erase any trace of meat that ever existed on the bone.

...and then suck the marrow out when he's finished.

...and then gnaw on it for a while, for good measure.

I think he gets it from his dad.

Parents can't call in sick

It's been a rough week around here.

Thankfully, I have close to $100 in prescription and over-the-counter meds to help, plus a handy spreadsheet of the family's high temperatures to keep me from over medicating my children when those fevers spike at 2 in the morning.

Dear influenza: You've overstayed your welcome. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

A spoonful of sugar

What do you do when a sore throat, fever, chills, and a really bad hair day get you down?

Treat them with a little hot tea with honey and lemon, of course. Put it in a big girl mug, and it makes everything feel better.

Any excuse

It doesn't take much to inspire an impromptu photo shoot around here. A task as simple as putting away the newborn things and unpacking the box of 3-6 month boy clothes is enough to prompt me to pull out the camera, slap a cute hat on the baby and start shooting.

And just look at that smile. Aren't you glad I didn't miss that moment?

Group projects

While cooking and coloring do take up a majority of our time here at the School of Mommy, we do occasionally take a break from our regular brand of fun to make time for music class. This week, the kids found my hymnal and, convinced it was a Bible, sat down and began "reading" Bible stories to one another from it. It was kind of adorable how they took turns flipping the soft pages and retelling familiar tales of lions' dens and crucifixions, but I felt I had to set them straight. After explaining that it was actually a book full of songs, Abby insisted I sing them for her. Around hymn number 302, I got the bright idea that perhaps someone had done a better job at performing these songs than myself. And that is how YouTube became an important part of preschool.

Thanks to the wonders of the internet, my kids were able to experience "The Lord of the Dance" in new and wonderful ways. For almost a half an hour, they sat captivated (and sometimes danced) as we traveled the world listening to Irish folk bands, reggae artists, bluegrass singers, and some guy in his backyard with a dulcimer perform the same song over and over again. Save for the fact that I'll probably never get that song out of my head now, music time was a good experience for everyone involved.

Week by week, Caleb's getting more and more interested in learning his letters. He's finally singing the alphabet (with gusto, I might add) and can even correctly identify a few letters. Oh, and he can spell his name, too: "A-C-B...Cay-yub!" Each week, while Abby works on her letter worksheets, I offer one to Caleb as well to scribble on while I help Abby practice writing. This week, he attacked the front of his letter s coloring page as usual, then to my surprise, flipped it over and traced the letter s (albeit backwards). I might have missed it, had his enthusiasm not driven him to announce so loudly, "Look Mommy! It's Cay-yub's ABC's!"

During their free time, the kids pulled out their Magna Doodles (or "magnet doodles," as Abby calls them) and set to work doing something quietly, as per my instructions. Caleb drew trucks, and pretty good ones at that, before moving on to his favorite activity: copying everything his sister does. Abby got increasingly frustrated with Caleb's inability to trace his own feet the way she was doing, and showed him how much easier it was to do when you removed your socks.

Finally, in a true test of patience for everyone involved, I turned the kids loose in the living room with their favorite 24-piece puzzle. Caleb, with his eye for seeing the bigger picture, is fabulous at puzzles. He carefully selects pieces from the pile, orients them properly, decides what kind of animal he's most likely holding a section of, and sets to work putting it in its proper place. Abby, with her short fuse and her knack for focusing on small details, is a little less adept at puzzles. In fact, watching her try to complete a puzzle without assistance is a little bit like watching a penguin try to knit a sweater. Caleb gets frustrated with Abby, and Abby gets frustrated with failure, so this is really not our most enjoyable group activity. But we're working on it. At my suggestion, Abby sorted the pieces by shape and color, then handed them to Caleb. Caleb would figure out where the piece should go, and Abby, with her superior fine motor skills, would help him lock it in place. It took almost 20 minutes, but when we were done, no one was angry and the kids were pretty satisfied with themselves.

How we roll

When boredom, lunacy and hunger combine forces, I often find myself behind the wheel of the van with three kids ages three-and-under headed to the grocery store. It happens about once a week, and so far I haven't found any way to end the vicious cycle. So we make the best of it.

After balancing the baby carrier and the baby atop the back of the cart and wrangling the big kids into a car buggy with strict instructions to keep all appendages inside the car, we begin our journey. In the produce department we procure some mini apples to snack on. This serves to keep Abby and Caleb occupied for the duration of the trip, during which time they eat the peel, the core, the seeds and the stem, despite repeated warnings to the contrary.

We linger in the dairy section and the kids crane their necks to watch the miniature train go around and around on its track suspended from the ceiling above the cheese. I answer the same question every time, and understandably so, as it makes little sense to the kids why we should need five gallons of milk for a family of only four milk drinkers. On the Italian foods aisle, I let Abby pick a special pasta. Typically she'll choose Farfalle (because it's shaped like little bows), but lately we've ventured into Foglie di ulivo (she liked it because it was green and shaped like leaves) and occasionally Rotini (because it's curly, like her hair).

I time my grocery excursions to coincide with Jacob's morning nap, so he can be counted on to stay asleep, or at least quiet, for most of the trip. When he does wake up, he's usually so amused by the lights and sounds that he is content to smile and coo and crumple my list in his tiny fists as we meander through the store.

And when we're done, I reward myself with a nice hot mocha from the cafe in the front of the store. Because after an hour of driving this boat of a buggy up and down every aisle with 80 pounds of offspring and a week's worth of groceries inside, I've earned it.

Against all odds

At 7 a.m., she spotted the dusting of snow from her bedroom window.

By 8 a.m., she had finished her breakfast, dressed herself in cowboy boots and mittens, and was waiting impatiently for Caleb to get ready so they could go outside.

By 8:15, she was starting to believe us when we told her that this was not enough snow to go sledding in. Indeed, it wasn't even enough snow to warrant the wearing of snow gear. So she decided she'd build some snowballs instead.

I'm afraid she had to settle for brushing ice off of her mittens. Snowpocalypse, this was not.

That daring young man

Spring is just around the corner, and the cold weather can't retreat fast enough for this guy. It's hard to believe that this time last year, Caleb wasn't even walking yet.

These days, he's walking, running, skipping, jumping and crashing into things like a champ. And whereas last year he was relegated to a few weak pushes on the backyard swing, this year he's officially big enough to swing Super High (which is much more significant than Very High, but not as death-defying as Really Super High).

Look out Spring. Here we come. And my kids have big plans for you.

Change will do you good

We've gotten into a pretty good preschool routine in the few months we've been at it. Tuesdays and Thursdays are school days, and Abby loves to see "School" listed as her activity of the day on her bulletin board twice a week. We read, we cook, we sort, we count, we snack, we match, we build, we share, we draw, we craft, and we play hard until lunch time. These are my favorite days, for they are school days for me as well. All laundry, errands, e-mails and household projects are set aside on these mornings, and my kids get my full attention (and I get theirs) as we learn and play together.

But good routines can lead to monotony, and sometimes the only way to break the monotony is to do something absolutely insane. This week, that something was a field trip to Starbucks, with all three kids, all by myself. I call it a field trip, because it was totally educational. Caleb was assigned the task of locating colors and shapes all over the store during our coffee break, and Abby brought along her sight word flash cards. Over a couple of tall hot chocolates and blueberry scones, we worked through this week's words until she was confident enough to build a sentence all by herself for the first time. Even the guy beside us took a break from his Washington Post to congratulate her on successfully assembling the phrase "The little kitty is yellow."

Back inside our own four walls, we worked on a letter k craft, making kites out of construction paper and decorating them with crayons, clouds and yarn. Caleb's really starting to take ownership of his crafting, and is requiring less and less intervention from dear old mom when it comes to things like applying glue and deciding where things should go.
Abby is still loving her letter worksheets. Each time we sit down to color, she carefully picks out a dark crayon--"one that will really show up, Mommy"--practices drawing the letters on the worksheet, then signs her name at the top and tells me to put it away somewhere where it won't get lost before asking for another page to work on. We've been working on some number worksheets as well, and she's showing a lot of improvement in figuring out and following basic illustrated instructions without having to ask me to tell her what she's supposed to do. Color-by-number activities are some of her favorites right now, and she's eager to learn to read her colors so that she can do them all by herself. (She can read the words "yellow" and "pink" on her own so far.)

I usually give the kids some free time during our morning preschool activities during which time they can get some space from each other and do something on their own while I feed Jacob or clean up a play dough mess or whatever. Lately, Abby has been defaulting to taking down all of her word cards from the bulletin board and challenging herself with them. She'll go through the cards one at a time, and each time she can read a word, she lays it down on the floor to build a road for ponies or cars to cross. When she doesn't know a word, she puts it back in the stack and I can overhear her telling herself, "This one's tricky. Let's try that one later." She's a great self-motivator, and that's one of the things I really love about my three-year-old.

Now if I could just get her to take that much interest in cleaning up the playroom, we'd have it made.

Train wreck

Abby and Caleb finally found a game Jacob can play with them. So the kids built a train in the living room, which was super cute, until the train was derailed because someone touched someone's foot, the caboose turned on the hopper car, and the hopper car got the caboose in a headlock while the engine sat in stunned silence.

According to eyewitness reports, it only took 59 seconds to go from this...

to this...

A quick glimpse...

Abby, in full princess regalia (she's the pink blur in the background), is insisting she needs to read a book to Jacob. The book she needs to read is situated out of reach, and therefore requires that she climb our leather chair to get to it. Our leather chair doesn't have nearly the traction a princess needs to keep her footing in a shiny pink polyester gown. In just a moment the books, and the girl, will come tumbling to the ground.

Caleb, meanwhile, is going on six solid minutes of trying to figure out how to remove the orange truck from Jacob's exersaucer. My insistence that (a) the truck is permanently affixed to the exersaucer and (b) that's Jacob's toy and you need to leave it alone are going unheeded. Or perhaps unheard. It's hard to tell with 2-year-old boys.

Jacob, meanwhile, is alternately thrilled with his new outlook on life and terrified that it puts him squarely in the path of destruction that is his older brother. We've brought our inventory of baby equipment to a whopping four items, including the swing, the tummy time mat, the bumbo, and now the exersaucer. Both the tummy time mat and the exersaucer are functioning at about 30% capacity with far fewer accoutrements than they had when our first child played with them. Thankfully, Jacob has Abby and Caleb to pick up the slack on entertainment.