Out of Time

I don't have time to write much. As usual, I bit off more than I could chew and have been about as busy as one can be this week. Darin wants to know when I plan on scaling back my extra-curricular activities. I just smile, laugh, and say "You don't know me very well, do you?"

Anyway, we are headed to PA for the start of our Christmas celebrations this evening. Provided I can get my laundry list of tasks completed (which includes laundry)! I plan on updating the blog from Mom's house. Why did I insist on a desktop?!?


In other news:

Happy Birthday, JoePa!

and

Check out those Miami Hurricanes! Our basketball team is off to a running start to the season. We are ranked #22 and are undefeated (12-0). Our football team was a huge disappointment, let's hope for better from the hoopsters!

Jordan's Christmas Card

Jordan made Christmas cards for his teachers and his bus driver. Here is the one to his bus driver.

Signs of Critical Thinking

Kids think quite a bit. They soak things up like little sponges. But sometimes young learning is very black and white. Last night, as we were getting ready for bed, Jordan & Mikayla were showing off their color blending knowledge.

"Red and white makes my favorite color, pink" says Mikayla.
"Blue and yellow make green" says Jordan.
"What colors make violet?" asks Mikayla.
"Blue & purple make violet, Mikayla. Violet is a purply blue" replies Jordan.

This continues through many color blends. Then Jordan said, "Red and white and purple make magenta".

Mikayla looked to me for confirmation, "Wow, JT! That was a hard one. You learned that at school."

"I didn't learn that at school and I didn't guess. I thought about it. I know purple and pink make magenta and red and white make pink. So, red, white, and purple make magenta."

I believe that may be basic algebra! His black & white learning has just gotten a little grey =)



Patterns

They teach kids patterns now. I must admit, I would get the notes home from school every week about what they learned. "This week we discussed AB patterns." I had no idea what the teacher was talking about. Is this what they call the new math, I wondered. It was just never described to me like that.

Jordan comes home and talks about what he learned and tells Mikayla. So she is learning right along with him. Mikayla had on a striped shirt and she said, "Mom, I have on an ABC pattern shirt." I looked, silver, light blue, blue, silver, light blue, blue. Sure enough she had on an ABC pattern shirt.

Then Jordan said, I have an ABCDEF pattern shirt. His sleeves had very thin clumps of stripes. Sure enough, I looked at each grouping of stripes and they were the same. It was an ABCDEF pattern shirt.


Sweetness

Jordan talks fondly about a lot of his classmates. But when he was asked to draw a picture and name his best friend, this is what he drew:

In case you can't make it out he says "My best friend's name is Mikala". That does a mom's heart good. I LOVE that they are so close!

Medicine at School

I guess it's been awhile since I was in a minor-aged school environment. Not to mention, times have changed (how cliche')! But, really , times have changed! I remember having my tin of Sucrets at my desk, chewing them one after another like they were candy when I was in elementary school. Yummmm...cherry Sucrets. In Jr. High & Sr. High I carried tylenol and the such in my bag for those rough days and I moved on from Sucrets to Luden's Cherry or Honey Lemon- call me a drug dealer!

Jordan has a bad, congested cough that sometimes is uncontrollable. I kept him home yesterday and attempted to make an appointment with his doctor. Of course, there weren't any appointments available. There never are! But I got that ever so helpful call back from his nurse. NOT! Where do they get some of these nurses from? When do we switch health care providers? Anyway, the over-the-counter Triaminic seemed to help a bit. So last night I went to the store, bought a new, sealed container of Triaminic chews. Jordan insisted on going to school today. He is a "Zero Hero" (meaning he has no write-ups or referrals). Today is the Zero Hero party. They get to watch Surf's Up and eat popcorn. I'd want to go to school too, I think.

So I take Jordan to school, equipped with a what-did-I-miss note to the teacher, a why-I-was-absent note for the office, his library book (he missed library yesterday and "You know, Mom, the Librarian said the books have to be back every library day or we lose our privileges. See this post), and his medicine. I knew I'd have to fill out a form. Ok, I had NO idea.

First of all, I had to wait until the super dooper security ID scan was completed for every volunteer or parent that was in the building. It really is a good system, but I think it's a bit much. They take your scannable, government issued picture ID, scan it, run it against some databases (I think the registered sex offender list is one of them), you tell them where you will be in the building, and then it prints out a custom visitors badge complete with your vital statistics. It's great, but a bit time consuming for those poor secretaries. Gone are the days of scratching their heads with a pencil, wondering what to do next. It's also time consuming to wait in line to acquire your badge...or worse, be the second person there and the 18th person to be helped. Wow, I'm ranting today. Sorry!

So it's finally my turn. I ask for the medicine form. I felt like I was going through a security clearance. Fill this form out in triplicate. Ok, I'm exaggerating. But here's the thing. It asks the basic questions - child's name, age, DOB, grade, teacher, the exact name of the medicine, why they should get the medicine, how often they should get the medicine, and duration. Then you have to sign the waiver. For the how much and how often, I wrote he could have 2 tablets every 4 hours as needed for cough, sore throat, runny nose beginning at 11am on 12/19 and continuing through 12/22. I guess they can't do "as needed". They need exact times. My first question is, then why do you pay a nurse if you can't do something as simple as a prn over-the-counter med? My second question is, then why don't you change your form to reflect the exact data you want? Anyway, it's done. Jordan will get medicine at 11 and 3 regardless of whether he needs it or not.

I get why the schools have some of this ridiculousness. They have been found liable in too many lawsuits. Freakin' lawyers and greedy bastard parents! But haven't they gone a bit too far? We have many of the problems in our society because no body is held accountable for their own actions. There is no sense of self responsibility. Then we foster that attitude by never allowing people to be responsible. Granted, I'm talking about a Kindergartner...but he should be able to have a sealed cough drop, clearly labeled, and be able to take it if he has an out of control coughing attack. Instead, they send him to the office to get a cough drop, or they send him home! Put a big, fat, black, permanent line through SCHOOL NURSE as one of my future job considerations! They aren't allowed to do anything except hold back hair for puking kids and call the janitor for that foul smelling saw dust stuff. Maybe it's the vomit that is foul smelling.

I'm done! This rant was prob. a little overreactive considering I pulled an all-nighter trying to make 130 treat bags for teachers and staff for their "Happy Holidays" for PTO after I got home from errand running and shopping at 11:15pm. Now I have a to do list with 122 things on it for the day. Oh, and I have to take care of 4 kids. Did I mention I didn't sleep last night? Oh, but I did try out my new Tassimo machine. The chai tea latte was yummy. Darin said the hot chocolate was good too. Just needed some whipped cream, which I didn't have.

Marine Corps. Marathon Photos

Finally...here are some pictures of Darin on race day for the

Marine Corps. Marathon

Sunday, October 28th.

Around Mile 14

Jordan & Mikayla are holding up their signs waiting to see Daddy at Mile 26!

Jackson, Payton, & Ryne hanging out while watching for Daddy to pass us!

(How's that shoe taste, Ryne?)

Darin's still smiling on his final ascent to the finish, Mile 26.1

Across the Finish Line 26.2 at the

Marine Corps. War Memorial of Iwo Jima

We're so proud of Darin's accomplishment!! We'll be there next year when he crosses the finish line again! Go Daddy!

Who Ate The....

Wrapping Paper?

That's right. I got my container of wrapping paper out from the closet. It's one of those containers that stands upright and holds the rolls. I placed it in my bedroom, apparently a little too close to the pack n play where Ryne takes his naps. When I went to lay him down for his nap today, I noticed all of these little shreds of paper on the pack n play mat. Sure enough it was wrapping paper...and from looking at the edge of the roll he singled out and the amount of paper in his bed...he consumed a good couple of bites. Nobody can claim he's a picky eater - dog food and wrapping paper. Maybe I should have him tested for pica.

Oh, and Jackson has enjoyed the raspberry preserves out of the center of the cookies I made. Good thing he raided the stash AFTER I took the amount out I needed for the cookie exchange. Poor Darin is left with the outsides of the cookies and the wet remnants from the double triple many times dipped centers.

Breach of Security

The twins have officially broken every level of security we have in place at our house -minus the door knobs. They still aren't tall enough or strong enough to twist the door knobs...but that's only a matter of time.


1. Stair Gate

We, ok I, chose the stair gate we have in place because it folds away when not in use. Darin hates this thing because it's a little loud and it works best if you have 2 available hands. I hate having to step over or fuss with gates when the kids aren't even awake. I know...lazy. It's also more attractive. You barely notice the gate when it's folded away. Looks like this:

Payton and Jackson found a way to squeeze under the gate. So sometimes I'll catch them downstairs when they aren't supposed to be. Payton also uses it as a pull-up bar. She uses her arms to pull herself up and hangs on to greet you on the other side. I'm telling you, she's STRONG!

2. Cabinet Locks
These things are supposed to be difficult enough for the kids not to open the cabinets and easy enough for adults to unlock for everyday use.


The twins first began breaching this level of security by wedging their little hands in the small gap that is created when you open the cabinet and the lock latches. They would just reach in and blindly pull stuff out. Then Jackson figured out how to push down on the lock as you pull out the cabinet. Now they are totally useless. Even Ryne has figured these things out.

3. Today's Kid Play Yard
We originally used these to fence in our living room. It gave the kids space to play while keeping the kitchen, dining room, and office area off limits. These worked great when the kids were little.




Now, let me count the ways how they get around these. When used as a gated area, the twins can lift them up and unlatch the segments or they just climb up and over them. We still are trying to use them to shield our TV gadgets like the receiver, DVD recorder, and DVR. Unfortunately, their little hands fit through there too easily. It still usually gives me enough time to see they are reaching for something before too many buttons are pushed.

4. Crib Tent
Never heard of them? I didn't either until I joined my Mom's of Multiples group. Most people use these to keep kids in cribs a little bit longer so they don't climb or fall out. We use it to keep kids out of the cribs, specifically Payton. Payton kept climbing into Ryne's crib. It was cute...until one day she scratched the heck out of his face in a couple seconds! Jackson would occasionally be in the crib too. But not as often.


We put the crib tent up...and 3 weeks later, they were found in Ryne's crib yet again. I think Payton climbs up the side of the crib, holds on with one hand, and unzips the opening. It has got to take great strength and determination. This tent ends up being about as tall as I am...but she has done it twice now. This last time both Jackson & Payton were keeping Ryne company. We still are going to use it though. It at least keeps them at bay a little longer.


So our house has officially been taken over. Time to start looking for the door knob covers. They may keep us sane for a few more months. I'll cross my fingers anyway.

Ryne's First Hair Cut

Darin gave Ryne his first hair cut about a week and a half ago. His 'party in the back, business in the front' mullet had to go. Ryne sat still and barely made a peep, even when daddy used the vacuum cleaner to clean-up the loose hair from his shoulders.

Ryne has also started taking a few steps on his own. I haven't been able to capture his steps just yet...but I'll keep trying.

More Christmas Fun

Where else would you have about 70 kids and 40 adults all in the same room? The Mom's of Multiples Holiday Party of course! We had the party at House of Bounce - a family favorite. You'll see Mikayla's birthday photos from there just as soon as Darin stops hogging them on his MAC =) Anyway, we arrived a tad late because of all days, our kids actually slept in on a morning when we had something planned. Isn't that how it always works? Everyone still had a great time and enjoyed getting their books from Santa. They enjoyed their books...not necessarily Santa.



Here are some pictures. We didn't have it all together that day, so we didn't take any pictures ourselves. But here are a few that a friend shared with us. Notice the kid to parent ratio. This would scare many people away.

Our family picture with Santa...not so great this time =)

After the Multiples Club party I took Mikayla to see The Nutcracker performed by the Manassas Ballet Theatre. When Jordan heard me say that we were going to see The Nutcracker, he said he wanted to go too. Then when he discovered it was a ballet and not a movie, he changed his mind. It was Mikayla's first ballet experience. And considering it was a little over 2 1/2 hours....she did great. At first she was confused because they weren't talking. She wanted to know why they couldn't dance and talk. I explained that we were supposed to interpret what was going on based on their movements. She asked me to help her out, so I whispered different scenes to her. One of the dancers, the Arabian, didn't wear a shirt. So today Mikayla had her shirt off and she said..."I look like one of the dancers from yesterday. You know, one of the boy dancers." I guess that made an impression on her. God help us get through those teenage years! Mikayla also really enjoyed seeing the Orchestra in the pit. That was a first, too. She knew a lot of the instruments - the piccolo, flute, clarinet, trumpet, drums, xylophone, heart (how she refers to the harp no matter how many times I correct her), violin, cello, and the electric piano. She was thrown by the bassoon. She didn't realize how big a bassoon was. She also didn't know what a bass was. It's just a big violin =) All in all, Mikayla enjoyed it. It was a bit long for her attention span. But she really did great!

Mikayla and I got home just in time for Darin to get to his office party. He had a good time and prob. enjoyed the night to himself.

Today was filled with more holiday fun. We ventured into D.C. to a friends house. They had a small gathering with 60 of their closest friends in attendance. It was a bit of a zoo, but we had a great time. I have to say thanks for all the extra eyes and ears on the kids. It's always a bit crazy when you go to a home where kids don't reside. Jackson found the M&M's and I think he ate half a bag before I realized what he was in to. Payton snagged a brownie from an unsuspecting guest that sat his plate on an end table within Payton's reach. Ryne tried to unwrap a gift they had sitting under their tree. He didn't get very far. The bow got stuck to his hand and he cried because he couldn't get it off. Jordan and Mikayla kept occupied with their Leapsters. A little boy was so fascinated by Jordan's game. He watched intently, almost putting his nose on the screen. Jordan offered to share and the little boy took him up on it - and played the rest of the night =) Again, my hands were full but I did manage to snap a picture of Jackson trying the Santa hat on for size. Get ready for some holiday cuteness!

The kids' cuteness must make up for their occasional cries and attempts to get into things they shouldn't because we were invited to a regift party on the 5th...with the kids =) Sounds like fun. I can't wait to see what gift I will regift =)

Oh but today's fun doesn't stop here. It's almost midnight (blogger thinks I live on the West Coast. I've tried to change it so it posts the correct time...but it hasn't worked yet) and my cookie dough is chilling in the fridge. I still have to make cookies tonight for a cookie exchange tomorrow evening. I made enough dough for 10 dozen cookies according to the recipe. I don't know if I make my cookies too big or what...but I always get about 1/2 the number of cookies the recipe says it will make. I only need to take 5 dozen tomorrow. I hope it makes a few extra to have here at home. We'll see. Well I'm off to bake cookies - Raspberry Preserve Thumbprint cookies to be exact. YUMMY! I have to keep Darin away or I'll only have 3 dozen to take tomorrow!

The Nightmare before Christmas

There are so many things to do and see this time of year. Last year we drove through a lights exhibit and ended up at a carnival type place. The kids rode rides and ate chicken fingers and french fries. It was nice, but a little pricey. This year we thought we'd try something different. Last year I remembered a bunch of friends talking about Gum Drop Square. Low and behold, guess what comes up on my twins club message board?!? A couple of moms were planning a trip to Gum Drop Square. Perfect. I'm in. I thought I would just take Jordan & Mikayla...but after finding out their plans, they were going to leave right after the kids got off the bus, I wasn't so sure I would join them. Darin can't get home that early, and I've never been there and don't know exactly what to expect. I talked to a friend that goes every year. She assured me that it would be fine - maybe a little tight with the stroller - but encouraged me to come with all the kids. Great! I get Jordan off the bus, make sure all the little people are good to go, tell Jordan & Mikayla to grab there coats, load into the car and away we go!

We drive the 1/2 hour it takes to get there and get to the general vicinity. I only had to circle once to figure out where to park. That's not too bad. We're off to a great start. We're parked. I give my friend a call. No answer. No worries, we'll find each other. I get the babies dressed in their coats and hats. Now it's time for Jordan & Mikayla to get out...Where are their coats? So I ask, "Where are your coats?" "Our coats?" they reply together. "Yeah, your coats. I told you both to grab your coats!" "Oh, we didn't hear you." "So you mean to tell me that it's winter and you guys didn't bring your coats? What does winter mean? It means it's cold." I stop the lecture and try to find some way to keep them warm. Jordan at least has a shirt and a sweatshirt with a hood. And I found his hat. Mikayla has on a turtleneck and I managed to find her hat in the car too. But I know she's going to be cold. So, like any good mother would do, I offer her my coat. My coat that's 10 times too big. But she'll be warm. She'll be warm...but now I'm going to be cold! UGH! I hate to be cold!!

I try my friend's cell again. No answer. Alright, I'll head in the general direction of the events. It is just a short jaunt to Main Street. Just as I get to Main Street, my phone rings. It's my friend telling me the group is already in line at Gumdrop Square and be prepared, it's a long line. She then directs me to the exact location of the line. OK. Not TOO bad. I've stood in worse. But it's a bummer we won't be together.

I take in the sights....it's very Norman Rockwell-like. Small town. To the left is a children's choir lined up on the steps of City Hall. Their parents are gathered at the bottom of the stairs, intently listening to their carols. To the right is a young dance troupe performing on a patio in town square, their parents also aligned as an audience. Shortly after the dance troupe's bows, the kid's hand bell choir begins their concert of carols. Families are greeting each other. The Lion's Club is selling hot chocolate and nachos. A horse-drawn wagon is circling Main Street with loads of riders taking in the sights.

Meanwhile, this is my chaos...

All the little kids have by now performed their Houdini acts of getting out of their buckles. They all have their unique way of bypassing the security, but all manage to escape before the stroller comes to a stand still in line. I send Jordan & Mikayla off to watch the dancers. They're still within clear view and earshot of me. I hear one woman say. "Look at that girl. That coat is as big as she is." referring to Mikayla. Jackson is rocking back and forth. On his back swing he is hitting the chair so hard he is bumping Payton. Ryne is standing, grabbing at Payton's hat. Payton is whining because she is being bumped by Jack in the front and being picked at by Ryne from the back. By now people in line have begun to notice that which is the triple stroller. The whispers are getting louder and louder "look at her, triplets bless her heart" "oh my, that's a lot of kids" I pick up Ryne to help relieve some of Payton's annoyances. Ryne decides to play the mommy fetch game of let me drop lovey and see how many times mom will pick it up. As I reach down to pick up the lovey, I see out of the corner of my eye, Payton plummeting towards the cement. Bonk! "AHHHHHHH" The woman in line in front of me scoops her up and almost starts crying, "Ohmygod". I put Ryne down. I am concerned, but at least she's crying. That means she's breathing and able to feel pain. I look her over, feel her head. No blood, no bumps, her pupils look fine. I give her her milk cup and lovey and a kiss and place her back in the stroller. Jordan & Mikayla have now made their way back to me to see what was up. Meanwhile, the woman in front of me in line is trying to buckle all of the kids. She asked why the buckles were already together. I let her know that at the beginning of our adventure they all were strapped in, but they all wriggle out of them. As she talks I hear a hint of disdain in her voice. I'm now annoyed because as if we didn't already have enough attention, now we have the attention that nobody wants. The "bad mom" attention.

Just as everyone has settled back down, I notice that people are parking their strollers at the bottom of the stairs and holding their child in line. Notice I said child, because no one has more than one young child. I begin to wonder, can you not take strollers at all? My friend said it will be tight, but she didn't mention that I couldn't have any stroller...my wheels are turning. Jackson & Payton aren't in the mood to just stand beside me and hold my hand. And I can't hold all three for any period of time. Not by myself. I give my friend a call, as by now they are all inside. "Do you see anyone with strollers or did you see a ramp to get the strollers inside?" "No, oh no" The conversation went on for a little bit longer. I haven't given up yet, but I am starting to consider just heading back home. I should have. Instead, I found a gentleman that was helping. He informed me of a handicapped accessible area around the back and said they would be more than happy to help me inside. My hope of salvaging this experience was renewed.

I venture to the side of the building and wait for a handicapped person to vacate the area. As I get inside I notice that they have a chair lift. Basically it's a platform with a little half door at the bottom and a half door at the top. I'm sizing things up and am not optimistic the stroller will fit. Gumdrop square utilizes pre-teen volunteers dressed as elves. So our little elf greets us at the platform and tells me to go on in. I manage to wedge it in there. Jordan and Mikayla can't fit so I sent them up the stairs on their own. We slowly make our way to the top. The platform latches...but the door doesn't open. Our elf is frantically trying to open the door. He decides to try to send us back down and then back up. Nope...not working. The elf goes for help. In comes a nice woman. But she doesn't know how to operate the lift. She asks me to read the large sticker on the lift. I tell her that it just says if the door remains locked I should use the call button. She asked me to try that and I explained that the call button probably just notified someone in the building that assistance was needed. She was my help =) Oh...so after trying several things, I told her that I could take the kids out of the stroller and lift the stroller out of the lift. She asked me to hang on as she went to get 4 more pre-teen elves. Each elf took a child and I managed to lift the heavy stroller up and over the half-door. The kids get put back in the stroller and the one elf opens the door to the main hall. As soon as the door opens, there is a short line of elves and Santa is right there. Everyone in line is staring at us. There is no where to go with this stroller. The elves shoo me past Santa to wait. The nice woman is now looking frazzled and midly annoyed comes over and says "You'll just have to wait here until we get to your spot in line." That's fair. I will wait my turn. Then she gets flustered and says..."There just isn't enough room here for the stroller. What are we going to do?" I stayed calm, hoping that she would have the same effect. "Just tell me where you would like us to wait and we will." As the nice turned panicked woman is trying to figure it out, one of the elves escorts Jordan & Mikayla to Santa's lap. Now we're starting to not only skip the line but hold up the line, because I wasn't prepared. I ask if we should go. The woman hims and hauls and says "Well, ok! Some people will be mad, but you should go" I tell her that we would be more than happy to wait our turn. She says shortly "No, just go". Well great, nothing like being made to feel like a pain in the butt!! Doesn't she know that I'm just as frustrated with the situation as she is.

I put the kids on Santa's lap one by one and held my breath as I placed Payton. See when we went on the Santa train last week, she screamed bloody murder when Santa entered our car. Payton didn't cry and miraculously, they all relatively co-operate and we got this decent photo:

Whew! That was nice. A moment of good settled in and as I asked the photographer how much the pictures were, he said they were free. They were his gift for Christmas. That was mighty nice. I gave him a warm smile, said Thank You, and wished him a Merry Christmas!

Only one more thing left in this building, Santa's secret workshop. Jordan & Mikayla were looking forward to this. They were anxious to go in the store all by themselves, pick out the gifts, and pay on their own. One elf escorted us from Santa to the Workshop and asked for our tickets. I ask her what tickets? She says "Oh, yeah, you didn't wait in line. Just a minute. How many tickets do you want?" I give her the money and she gets the tickets. The nice then panicked now condescending woman from before shows her face and says "Be sure you have your tickets." I feel like I asked for a Red Rider BB Gun!

Again I feel like we are holding things up. The elf comes back with the tickets and Jordan & Mikayla happily enter the store. I venture back down the chairlift. This time I tried a different angle and we went down no problem. Then all of a sudden, Ryne screamed. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. Then I figured it out. An elf gave Jackson, Payton & Ryne candy canes and I didn't know it. Ryne's candy cane was missing, but his sticky fingers and the red goop on his arm gave away the fact that he once did have a candy cane. I looked down. Yep, there it was, on the floor of the lift. And Ryne was crying because he was not done with the candy cane. The lift eeks to the bottom. I get out and scoop up the remnants of the candy cane so nobody else has to crush it and get all sticky. But now I'm sticky, and all the babies are sticky. Thank goodness for wipes. (All you pre-teen-elf-wanna-be's, don't give kids candy canes without asking or at least informing their parents! Ryne can handle it, but not too many 11-mos.-olds should handle a candy cane unsupervised. )Just as I'm cleaning them up, the phone rings. It's my friend. "I heard you took the elevator. Some people in line were talking about you." Great!! That's what I want to hear. Strangers were talking about me...YES!

I felt like Chevy Chase on Christmas Vacation (one of the best Christmas movies ever) when he goes into his rant: "Nobody's leaving. Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny **** Kaye. "

The group was headed to the horse drawn carriage ride. Why not. By darned we were here to have fun, so let's have at it. By the time we got to the horse, the group was already on the ride. When they got off, they offered to watch the little ones while I took Jordan & Mikayla. So that's what we did, I didn't really have the energy left to struggle with the babies to give them this experience. Until Payton started screaming. So Payton joined us for the ride too. Here is a pic of Jordan & Mikayla on the ride:

It was a quick ride. At this point, I was freezing and my Christmas Cheer was drained. Jordan & Mikayla begged for hot chocolate. I didn't give in. I promised them hot chocolate at home. So home we drove. On the way home I pondered how many times I made the wrong decision and looked at how many times I could have avoided some of the chaos. Maybe we should have just spent the extra money and gone to the light drive and rides again. Who knows.

Tomorrow we are making more efforts to invoke the holiday spirit. The Mom's of Multiples holiday party is tomorrow, then I'm taking Mikayla to see the Nutcracker ballet, and in the evening Darin is going to an office holiday party all by himself. Hopefully all of these events will go off without a hitch and the Spirit will be revived!

Oh, all the kids did get their hot chocolate and as a special treat - a chocolate chip cookie. And as I sit here typing this blog, my husband is so lovingly, combing his fingers through my hair, as though I have lice, pointing out my grey roots that are now showing. He's laughing and trying to kiss me. Saying he 'still loves me' anyway. Will the night get any better? I don't think so. It's time for bed and I'll start again tomorrow!

Locked In the Bathroom

This morning, I had to pee. And believe it or not, I wasn't right in the middle of doing something important. (Usually I have to wait about an hour or so until I'm free to use the restroom) So I walked to the bathroom and opened the door. Immediately I noticed that, of course, there is no toilet paper on the roll nor are there anymore spare rolls in the basket beside the potty. So I went upstairs to fetch some toilet paper. I decided just to pee in the upstairs bathroom since I was already there. The next thing I know, Payton is screaming. Hmmm, I thought to myself...I wonder why Payton is screaming? I finished going potty, washed my hands, grabbed the extra paper and headed back downstairs. The bathroom door was now shut and the screams were coming from inside. I turned the knob, to no avail. It was locked. Luckily the little key was where it was supposed to be, right on top of the door jam. I opened the door and Payton walked out with tears streaming down her face. She said "Thank You" and then shut the bathroom door and walked away.

You see, our bathroom door has a little squeak. Which reminds me...WD-40 has been on my shopping list for the last several months and I have yet to locate some. I will do that this week! Anyway, so when the twins hear the bathroom door open, they stop what they are doing, run to the bathroom, sit down on the stool, watch me potty, say "ewwww" and laugh, try to help me with the toilet paper, watch as the toilet flushes, stand patiently outside the door while I wash my hands, then immediately close the door as soon as I clear the doorway. Hopefully they'll be that methodical and excited about going to the bathroom when it's time for potty training! Yeah, right!

This is how I think Payton ended up locked in the bathroom.

Door Squeaks, they notice I'm not in the room, and the twins come running. Payton gets there first, walks into the bathroom confused because I'm not there. Jackson gets there next and sees Payton alone in the bathroom and shuts the door with Payton inside. Jackson runs away. Payton tries to get out by turning the doorknob she can barely reach but instead of opening the door, she locks it. Bam. Crying ensues.

Maybe from here on out I can go to the bathroom and be all alone for the 8.5 seconds it takes me to pee. Doubt it. But I will get that WD-40. Maybe then I can sneak into the bathroom?!

Trademarks - not to be understood by a 5 year old.

Now that Jordan is trying to spell and read everything and Mikayla is following in his footsteps, the questions are non-stop. What's this spell? What does that spell? How do you spell _(fill in the blank)__? What does that mean? and on and on and on...

They ask about things they see on TV and around the house like HD - high definition or DVR - digital video recorder. Well they asked about the trademark symbol. I tried to explain that a trademark meant that a product or idea was owned by a company. And if you want to use that item for something that would make you money (like in a movie) you would have to pay money to the company to use that item.

A couple of days later she was going through some toys to throw away or give away. She came across a doll that had the tm right on the tag. She said, "Mom, we can't give this one away, we have to sell it cause it has a trademark." I tried to re-explain the concept to her. Next thing I know Mikayla is walking around with her beloved Strawberry Shortcake blanket. I noticed that it had an M with a circle around it written in marker. I asked her why she wrote on her blanket. She said, "Oh, that's my trademark so if anyone else wants to use it they have to pay me money!"

Too cute!

I think it may be a few more years until this concept sinks in =)

All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth

Jordan was gladiator battling with inflatable pugle sticks at Mikayla's party. A kid came up to me and said "Are you Jordan's Mom?" I said, "Yes". He said, "Jordan lost his teeth and they are bleeding." (Yes, he was wearing a helmet!)

So I went to check it out. Sure enough, Jordan had a missing front tooth and the other one was pretty loose. I wasn't worried about it. They're just baby teeth. They were going to fall out anyway. I just didn't want Jordan to swallow the loose tooth. So, I offered to pull it out. He would have none of that! He wiggled and wiggled that thing until it finally came out (the next day). So there it is. Jordan will be missing his two front teeth for Christmas.

The funny thing is, when he lost his bottom two teeth, a third bottom tooth was a little loose. I know cause I wiggled it myself. So when I checked his other teeth to make sure he didn't have more loose teeth, that same tooth that was once wiggling, wasn't budging. Hmmm. Bizarre.

So I asked Jordan, "Wasn't this tooth loose before?". "Yes", he replied. "But I've eaten a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches since then. I think the sticky peanut butter helped keep the tooth in."

Interesting thought. I don't think that's the case, but I don't really have an alternative plausible idea.

Catching Up

What's worse than 3 kids being sick?

Mom being sick, too!

We were struck with the "a little bit more than 24 hour bug" last week -hence the lack of new posts.

It's hard enough to keep up with the daily ongoings of our household, let alone catching up. Let me tell you how many dishes pile up, laundry loads need washed, shopping needs to get done to restock the food and cleaning supplies...and of course we had family come to town this weekend for Mikayla's birthday celebration. Let's just say that I didn't get caught up in time. Someday my guests will enter a clean and uncluttered home. No guarantees as to when that will be though. I did, however, disinfect all knobs and bathrooms!

I have one little saving grace in my quest to catch up - Shrek the Halls! Can I just tell you that all 5 will sit on the couch and watch this show. They all laugh at some of the parts (the "Everybody Dance Now" part with the dancing turkey is a huge laugh getter!) We recorded it on our DVR. It's been played back many a times...but it's also on ABC again tomorrow night if you want to catch it.

So as I catch up with my housework, I too will catch up with my posts!

Jordan's First Missed Day of School

Jordan was so sick this weekend. I had already decided that I would let him wake up on his own and then would ask if he would like to go to school. So that's what I did. Jordan seemed tired and said he didn't want to go to school today. I didn't push it. It's ok. For me, attendance isn't a huge deal - as long as you do you work and do your work well. (Darin and I differ on this a little bit).

Jordan seemed pretty tired in the morning, opting to lay on the couch and hang out. Then he started to play like his usual self. At lunch, I asked him "Jordan, were you still feeling sick this morning or did you just not feel like going to school today?"

His eyes went to the up and left position. He bit his lip. You could seriously see those wheels a turning upstairs. He carefully picked his words "What happens if I lie?"

I said that the most important thing was that he tells the truth. When he tells the truth, he may still get in trouble, but he will be in less trouble than if he lies. And mommies and daddies usually find out when kids lie.

He pondered again...."What happens if I lied before but tell the truth now?"

I laughed and said "The most important thing is that you tell me the truth now." my voice turning more stern, "Were you still feeling sick or did you just not feel like going to school?"

Timidly he replied, "I was just still feeling a little tired - not sick. But I feel good now. I want to go to school tomorrow. Sorry I lied before."

I gave him a hug and wasn't sure what to say. See my question to him was "Do you feel like going to school today?" So when he responded "No." He didn't really lie to me. I didn't ask him if he felt sick. But...I didn't really want to teach him that nuance just yet. He'll figure it out soon enough and I'm sure I'll be the one duped soon.

I'm Itchy

A conversation with Mikayla:

Mikayla: I'm itchy!
Me: You're itchy? Maybe it's from the new PJ's. (Mikayla got new PJ's and demanded to wear them before I washed them.)
Mikayla: I don't think so. I'm itchy all over. I think I have the ticks.
Me: Ticks?
Mikayla: Yeah the ticks.
Me: What are ticks?
Mikayla: You know...the ticks...bugs. I don't remember what exactly they're called. (pause) Oh yeah, they're called ticks. That's all. I forgot.
Me: How did you get ticks?
Mikayla: From Keisha. Mommy!! You know they only get on animals that have fur. Keisha has fur so Keisha must have gotten ticks and gave them to me. I saw her scratching earlier.
Me: Where did you learn about ticks?
Mikayla: A long time ago, on an episode of Spongebob, Sandy the squirrel went to Texas and when she came back she had the ticks. Then Patrick and Spongebob got the ticks too, even though they don't have fur. They were really itchy just like I am. And the only way to get rid of ticks is lots and lots of water. They had to use all the water in Bikini Bottom.
Me: Well then I guess it's time to get a bath. But I really don't think you have ticks.
Mikayla: Alright!! I really wanted a bath.

I looked her over really well - no ticks =) My theory is staying with the unwashed PJ's. The funny thing is, she did have a tick, a couple years ago. Guess she doesn't remember. It's fun to see kids' perspectives. And who says you don't learn anything from television.

Work

For the past several months, I have been battling a dilemma. To quit, or not to quit? That is the question. This has been my internal, well sometimes it has been external, battle.

To Quit

1. I am the primary caregiver to 5 kids under the age of 7. All day, every day. Isn't that enough work for 1 week?
2. I only work 2 shifts a month anyway. It isn't that much money. And there are certainly aspects of our lifestyle we could cut back on to save some $$.
3. Weekends when I work, I am up for about 50 hours with little to no sleep. The sleep I do get is the half-asleep/half-awake sleep. Darin tries his best to keep the kids and kid noises away from me. But I'm still home, and the kids know it. So they try to wake me up and ask me questions or I hear the inevitable screaming occasionally,etc. Regardless...not good sleep. So I have to consider the safety of my patients, the safety of me driving home, and the pains of starting a new week with the kids - tired.
4. Work annoyances: a. Physically and verbally abusive patients. Example - this weekend I was bit 3 times, kicked, pinched, called an 'Evil girl' and a 'bad bad person', told to 'stick my fingers up your own @$$' and 'go to hell'. b. Often given a bad assignment. I often get the worst mix of patients, back to back admissions, etc because I'm 'only there for 2 nights'. c. asked to work more than I have to. They asked me to work a 16 hour shift yesterday. d. Lack of communication from administration. I was left a note that stated I had to have copies of all these licenses/classes, and complete 75 online competencies by November 15th. I was left another note saying I was complacent and needed to get these done asap. ok...how about a phone call or an email-even a snail mail letter letting me know these things BEFORE the deadline.
5. I have to clean up lots of poop, pee, vomit and blood and any combination thereof. I get enough diaper duty at home.
6. Darin works hard at work all week and then has to shift into full-time, single-parent, Mr. Dad status for the weekend - his rest from work. Not to mention that he can't go anywhere with the kids because they won't fit in his car and his car is a manual which I can't drive.
7. The heartache from the kids begging me not to go to work and saying they don't like it when I go to work.

Not to Quit

1. Work allows me to use my brain in a much different way than I do at home. I get to use critical thinking and book knowledge.
2. I am able to have adult conversations with someone I'm not related to.
3. Every patient is unique so it stays interesting.
4. I help people get better or help families get through very difficult times. There is a sense of pride and accomplishment that comes along with that.
5. It's not GREAT money, but it's not BAD money either. It makes it worth my while to work and help to pay 1 bill each month - sense of contributing to the family monetarily. Plus, I'm not prepared to give up my DVR!
6. Get to keep up with my skills. I'm nervous about being out of practice for a couple years and then re-entering the workforce.
7. While I am sleep deprived for the weekend. It's not that bad. Redbull helps me through the rough spots.
8. Work annoyances: a. patients that act like idiots are USUALLY not in control. This weekend's example was a 97 year old woman with dementia. She didn't know what she was doing or saying. b. bad assignments are challenging. I like a challenge. c. they prob. ask everyone to work more than they have to. not just me. d. Lack of communication - well that's still unacceptable.
9. I clean-up lots of aforementioned body fluids at home. At least I get paid for it at work.
10. OK, so I don't really care that Darin is "stuck at home". It gives him a glimpse of what I go through on a daily basis and hopefully will lead to a greater appreciation of what I DO do rather than highlighting what I don't get done everyday. Plus, he needs the quality time with the kids. And lastly, it's his own fault for buying a car he knew I couldn't drive =)
11. While the kids may not like that I work outside the home, I feel like its modeling positive behavior and showing that men and woman can work both inside and outside of the home - perhaps dispelling some of the gender biases of our society.

OK... are you tired of reading? So what did I decide? I know you are dying to find out. I put my resignation letter in my boss's box on Friday night....then picked it up out of the box Saturday night (She doesn't work weekends). I have never been so conflicted. This is the third time I have quit...to only not quit a little later. I want to quit...but I can't give it up. UGH! Well, I have another month before I have to go back to work. Happy contemplating to me!