it's all about redirection

I was upstairs trying to get the girls down for this first nap when I heard footsteps coming up. "Mommy, I fixed the crack on the walls!" the little boy said. Trying not to jump to conclusions, I didn't say anything and just waited for more information.

"Mommy, I fixed the crack!"

"What did you use?" I finally broke down.

"I used tape!"

Oh boy. By this time I'm trying to imagine chipped paint from the wall that sometimes happen when you rip scotch tape off. "I can't see it, M. Can you show me?"

"I'll show you, but don't spank me."

"OK". Me? Spank? Never! Ok, maybe sometimes, but just swat.

"Here! I took it off already."

Phew. I don't see anymore damage than was already on the wall. Rather than stop him from his newly found fascination with scotch tape, I told him it would be more fun to rip up paper and tape the pieces back together.

my kitchen drawer is so big, it can hold twins!

I was busy cooking dinner when I saw this. This is the one drawer I keep plastic containers in. It's baby proofed, but it broke. I've been letting them play with the drawer, but perhaps it's time to rethink it.

there were 2 little monkeys, jumping on the couch....

"one fell down and bumped her head. Momma called the doctor and the doctor said, "No more monkeys jumping on the [couch]!"

The little man just loves the story of the jumping monkeys. Thankfully, none of my 2 monkeys fell on from the couch this time.



(Thing 1 is on the right, wearing green. Thing 2 is on the left, wearing cream.)







They both have 8 teeth right now, and are getting ready to get molars. Thing 1 is a little further along and is pretty cranky. She woke up crying last night because of the pain.

it's the end of soccer season

Gotta love this personalized trophy!

And the ball spins, a plus for 3 year olds!

This weekend was the last soccer session. Unfortunately, we didn't make it. The little man hardly slept the night before coughing furiously. It would have been alright for him to go, without playing much just to be there, but it rained all morning. From what others told us, the team were out there for 20 minutes before they all ran for cover.

Toward lunch time, the plan was for the team to meet at the local pizzaria to enjoy each other's company and to hand the trophies. So right on the dot, we were there. But all the other soccer families had the same idea and we couldn't get a table. The party I promised the little man was not to be. He was quite disappointed, so I had to improvise. I told him we were a part of the soccer party that was already there. Thankfully they all had the same kind of trophy, so the ruse worked.

I explained that there is no more soccer, so now he said he wants baseball. My explanation of how baseball is for the summer went out the window because he said it's already summer. It was quite warm that day.

Daddy and the girls didn't make it because they were sick too. All three had a fever.

I'm a slacker with an excuse...

I am hoping not to uproot our big family, but it is better to be prepared. The company Daddy works for is not doing well and is in the process of laying off more than one half the work force. It's scary. We seem to be in this pattern of staying in one place for only 4 years. But this time, with three little ones, it won't be so easy. But I am hoping we don't have to do that. But to be prepared, it's time to get rid of some junk we manage to haul from house to house. Only now, we have tons of toys to add to it!

We've entered into a new dimension of parenting with the twins. With the little man the time between 15 months to a little bit after 2 years old were the most difficult and this is true with the girls as well. They are at an age where they want to do what they want to do, and any attempt to stop them ends up in a full body tantrum. With two, it's much more difficult.

The other day, when we dropped Big Bro off to school was especially frustrating. I no longer use the stroller now (I don't know why I make it difficult for myself). Instead, I use harnesses. So I put Thing 1 and Thing 2's harness on. Big Bro wanted to hold one, and he's in a mood where he wasn't going to take no for an answer. So rather than lose it, I let him. So he either pulls or pull Thing 1, making her lose her balance. Finally, I was able to get him to give up. But then there was the Exploration room right when we enter the building. It's a huge play area that everyone passes through to get to the rooms. Why it has to be right there in the middle near the doorways, I don't know. The girls went in two different directions. So there I was being pulled in the middle...and then Thing 1 came falling down, hitting her face on the floor. It wasn't serious, but it was the icing on a cake of a very difficult morning.

Today I decided that I can't handle the stress, so I used the stroller. We all need a little break once in a while.

it's cold today!

We all woke up at 7:30 this morning. In our house, that's considered sleeping in, unfortunately, that's too late for a 9AM soccer game! But we did still somehow got there on time.

It was only in the upper 40's so we all froze our buns off (it was 85 yesterday!). But yet, the little man still made 3 goals. Yay! It still takes a whole lot of coaxing and encouragement for him to play, though. If we ask him play, he says, "I don't want to!" But when he's out there, he's pretty good! I heard that trophies were being handed out today so I used that as an incentive. Unfortunately, the plans were changed at the last minute. The trophies will be handed out next week after the game. The team will have a 'banquet' at the local pizzaria. It should be fun.

Trying to keep warm!

Half time snuggle time. Can you tell the eyebrows were made from the same mold?

Such a sad puppy-eyed look from Thing 2. See the horizontal red line on her nose? She tripped just before we left home and landed flat on her face on the floor. Thankfully, nothing is broken. She should grow up to have her Mommy's pug nose.

Thing 1, the little red riding hood.

since when did mothers have to explain their actions to their 3-yr olds?

Yesterday morning, Big Bro asked if I could carry him down the stairs. I told him, "I can't, M. I told you Mommy's knees hurt."

He thought for a moment. "You carry only my sisters?"

Feeling like I've been caught in a lie, "They're babies and they are not very good at doing down the stairs yet. But you're a big boy and can do that by yourself."

He cocked his head to the side and crinkled the side of his face. He looked up at me and asked, "Your knees don't hurt when you carry my sisters?"

I conceded quietly and thought it better to change the subject at this point.