Our Baby Got De-ported!

Today is the day we celebrate Elijah officially being a normal, healthy boy, finally free of all physical “ties” to modern medicine. He had his surgery this morning to have his mediport removed, and he did great!  We weren’t thrilled that he had to wait two hours past his scheduled time, but were forgiving because…

Mathmagic

Ian begged me all week to make lemonade. Finally, I bought two bags of lemons and started the project. Our favorite recipe involves a cup of water per lemon and a quarter cup of sugar per lemon, a lot of peeling or zesting, soaking the peels/zest in the sugar, dissolving it in boiled water, removing…

Had A ‘Tude

I don’t want to say this too loudly, but I think my three-year-old has been switched for a calmer, happier, identical-looking three-year-old. It’s been about 36 hours since he has cried or melted down about something. I’ve witnessed him speaking calmly to his vehicle-usurping little brother, instead of shrieking our windows to shards. He’s voluntarily…

They Learn Weather I Teach Them…or Not

I turned on the weather this morning, and listened to the “lovely” music while I brushed my hair. Ian, now 4 1/2, breezed in like a dust ball attracted to the static and stared at the TV for a moment. He said, “Mom, it’s going to be seventy-five.” I leaned out from the bathroom to…

Party Pooper

Remember that Play Foam that the big brothers were supposed to be playing with yesterday while Elijah was going down for his nap? Here is a photo I’ve borrowed from PlayFoam to show you what it could look like before preschoolers have mashed all the colors together to make a big confetti-colored pie.

The Things I Have To Pretend I Don’t Hear

I’m lying here nursing the l’il captain to sleep for his nap. The big boys are supposed to be playing with “crazy foam stuff” at the table. Instead I hear through the wall a muffled drum sound, which means someone has climbed up on the book shelf. Then I hear money shaking, coins falling behind the bookshelf, gears turning – they think they are sneaking gum balls. Somehow they teleport to the top of the stairs, because I hear what must be an entire refrigerator fall down the stairs. Oh, what will be lying asunder at the bottom? Sleep, Elijah. This is melting my brain!

Yertle the Durdol

This week I’m running on PacEastern Time. We were California last week for my brother’s wedding and quickly unadjusted to Eastern Time (not to be confused with adjusting to Pacific Time). I think I’ve since settled somewhere near Siesta Time.

Fly Free

Ahhhh. Here I sit with a glorious double pane of glass between the brouhaha and me. Our new glass storm door with roll-away screen was installed Monday, and I’m LOVING it. I see every swat of a twig, every snatch of a toy – even the swirling cloud of chalk, but I remain unscathed. Not even a fly buzzing ridicule in my ear.

I Think We Have the Makings for a Banana Shake

Wondering where I’ve been? The entire month of April was composed of a delightful melody of stomach bugs and nasal congestion, accented with a staccato of coughing. For May, we’ve changed up the menu a bit to rashes. So far, 2/3 of my offspring have a full-body viral rash of some sort, and one also managed to get a Strep rash on his bum. Anyone for a play date?

They’ve also seemed particularly fixated on their boy parts lately [this serves as your warning].

Too Many Doostractions

To add to my “if I turn scientist” list of studies: Effect of offspring leg length on maternal response. I just randomly noticed that there is a particular age or size of child that completely changes my reaction to having toes in my face. Babies start off so small and squishy and I want to roll them into a little ball in my arms and chew on them. Their little legs are so stubby and their feet, so chubby, and so nibble-y and kissable. Then one day, somewhere between Elijah-size and Isaac-size, I get a foot in my face, and my gut reaction glowers get that clunky hoof off of me! They haven’t yet stopped being precious, but suddenly they’re more adorable from a distance.