Isn't summer supposed to be fun?

In an effort to keep the kids occupied we have been filling up our summer with play dates, t-ball, chess, library visits, going to the park, visiting the pool ( on days far too cold to actually get in), going to the fountains at Purdue, walks, and throwing rocks into a pond. We have supplemented this with learning time, especially for Jack. This involves practicing writing, reading, math, chess, and whatever sport he is in currently. This has also involved sports for me like, you better brush your teeth now or no iPad for 3 days, no hitting your brother or calling him names just because you think it is funny when he cries, how many days can we eat Mac and Cheese for at least 2 meals before I get called out, and trying to find a few minutes to rest by hiding in my room while they do basically whatever they want just so long as they don't bother me. Ah, summer is here.

Instead of sitting on my back porch with a margarita in hand I am driving kids back and forth from activities, waiting for and/or watching them while these activities are going on, and doing all this while wrangling a semi-demonic 1 year old. Oh, he looks cute for other people but in reality he is the loudest, most stubborn, hard-headed child I have ever met.

Summer, the time of birds chirping and kids laughing, also the time when I realize our windows are open and I have been hollering at the kids for 10 minutes. Also the time I realize to check if windows are open next time.

We had been pretty busy for a few days in a row so I thought (minus one activity in the morning) we would just stay in and do nothing, just relax. Haha. I mean really, I have three small boys and a do nothing day is not restful or peaceful, I know this but I just hoped this one day we could pull it off. Nope. Every single toy, couch cushion, book, and baking pan was out and they were bored by noon. Oh man. I then put on a movie which did work for a bit, but soon the yelling, the fighting, the tattling, the eating foods they shouldn't be, and the playing in the toilet began. At this point I think I said, fine you win do whatever you want. Just know I won't clean it up, if you get hurt it is your fault, and I am going to go lay down for a minute so don't bother me. I don't think I will have anymore scheduled down days around here. I get too tired.

kids in public

Going in public with your kids is always sort of a gamble. You never know what your going to get. Pete took all three boys to Wal-Mart the other night and this is how it went down. They walked passed the Intimates where a purple bra was displayed. Since purple is my favorite color Luke loudly says- purple for mommy! Jack chimes in -No, those are for boobs. Luke then smiles and says-Yeah, boobs. Then reaches out and begins to stroke the bra while continuing to say boobs. There was a couple in their 20s nearby who heard the whole thing and just started laughing as hard as they could.

We have a little zoo in town and there are monkeys that the boys enjoy seeing. One monkey was sleeping in such a way that he was splayed out for all the world to see. Jack looked at him and goes- Mom, why does that monkey have such a long nose? Well, there were a lot of little kids around and moms, so I wasn't sure the correct route to take. Do I come right out and say- That's his penis or do I try to do it in a more subtle fashion? I took the subtle route. Oh, Jack, well that's not his nose, he is a boy monkey. This did not solve our problem because Jack didn't understand. I really should have just said it at that point, but instead I told him to think about it. A minute or two later he starts laughing and says-I get it now and he whispers in Luke's ear and they both start laughing and saying the word penis over and over.

I took all three boys to the grocery store yesterday. Jack has lots of energy so immediately he gets Luke involved in 'playing' with him and they start running and hitting and wrestling, basically they thought we were at home. I devised a plan and told Luke he had to hold onto the cart with one hand or else he was going in the baby seat where Thomas was. I then gave Jack missions so he could still run around but do so in a more helpful way. I would ask him to find various foods and compare the prices so we could know which things were on sale. We kept passing a middle aged couple who thought we were hilarious. At one point Jack disappeared while on a mission. I told Luke we had better go find Jack. The man and woman happened to pass by and with a smile on his face the man quietly says- oh, he is over by the fireworks. Jack was actually very still and calm, he takes his fireworks quite seriously. As we were ending our trip we saw a dad with his 5 pre-teen and teenage kids and I wondered which of us would have a harder time at the store.

Finally, last night I took Luke and Thomas to the Goodwill. I initially had Thomas in a cart to contain the madness I was sure would ensue if they were both out running around. However, they see the toy section so I have to let Thomas out to look. In hindsight I brought it all on myself, I mean I am the mom whether they like it or not so this gives me certain powers. Thomas found this push toy and was so happy and smiling and would actually follow me wherever I was going so I let him stay out of the cart and push the toy. Of course, he managed to slide in between some racks that I couldn't get through and when I turned down another aisle to meet him he was long gone. Thinking that I would just be able to grab him quickly I left Luke by the cart and told him to just stay there for one second and I would be right back. Yes, I should have put Luke in the cart and we should have gone to look for Thomas together-duh, I know that now. At the time it didn't seem like the easiest solution.I couldn't find Thomas right away so I went back to get Luke, now Luke was gone but I could hear him. He was running through the store yelling-Towie, Towie, come here! Sigh. I decided to grab Thomas first and I found him just leaving the toys. I put his push toy in the back and put him in he cart. I can still hear Luke and I know we are right next to each other but somehow he eludes me. Finally, he stops yelling. It is silent. I glance around and a lady looks at me and points to where he is. Really, that was my fault but still......

Taking kids out in public is a chancy thing to do. You never know what will happen.

Life with Boys

Here is my take on life with all boys.

They eat all day long. Breakfast, after breakfast snack, pre-lunch snack/pre-nap snack, lunch, after lunch snack, dinner and dessert.

Super Heroes rule our world. Hulk, Superman, Iron Man, Batman, Thing, and Spider Man. We watch Super Hero Squad, Avengers cartoons, read super hero themed books all the time. Chapter books must include fighting, magic, wizards, and bad guys.

Sticks, straws, or anything long  is a sword. 

Who needs clothes? Underwear only happens almost everyday around here. 

Brushing hair? Umm.....no. 

Fashion? Well, now we do care about that some here. Is today wear a super hero costume day or is it more of a wear a super hero t-shirt day? Matching? Hardly ever because I don't pick out their clothes and who cares? They are going to end up in their underwear which are Super Hero themed.

Couches are a big deal. Every day all the cushions and pillows are thrown off. The couch is then jumped on, jumped off, and goodness only knows what else.

 Boy wrestling is a real thing. It happens all the time. It either starts spontaneously or by one of them saying, " Hey, you wanna fight?" Even at this young age it is pretty rough so there are a few rules like: no crotch, no throat, and no head hitting/kicking. Otherwise, go at it.

They get hurt all the time.While they may initially cry, they ultimately think it is so awesome and brutal.

Construction trucks for the younger one is life. We went to campus and just sat on a bench watching the construction trucks work.

How they interact with girls: The younger two don't understand girls don't like when you try to tackle them, punch them, throw things at them or chase them. The older one, I just will say it is interesting to see it from a boy's perspective and how foreign girls are to him in everything they do.

You can never be outside enough, running is a must, dirt is fun, water is fun, matchbox cars are the best toys and can be played with all the time in conjunction with any other toy, they love video games/ iPad games and are easily addicted and actually have withdrawal symptoms when you say they can't play anymore, and throwing rocks into puddles/ponds/lakes can be an all afternoon event.

The animals they like must be poisonous, dangerous, and deadly. Scorpions, rhinos, sharks, snakes, spiders, and hippos.

Penises are a big deal from a young age. As someone who grew up with mostly girls I had no idea that even young boys are more than willing to talk about them-- a lot. This goes hand in hand with peeing outside, peeing in bottles, and ok I will admit--peeing in parking garages.

Right now, I am the most important lady in their life. I get told how pretty I am, how much they love me, and how I am the best mom in the whole world. At night when it is just me, Jack opens up and tells me all sorts of stuff-so special.

I love having all boys. 

see that mommy

When you live in a small college town they wait until summer to fix all the roads, and every summer they shut down half the town in order to get things ready for the college students come August. Thomas happens to be at just the right age to think this is the most awesome thing in the world. Driving anywhere at all in town takes us by dump trucks, excavators, cranes, loaders, jackhammer trucks, and goodness only knows what else. Almost every second of our car ride goes like this- Thomas: See That? Mommy see that? See that?  Mommy: yes, do you see that?

Here are some of the things we see.

Jack's school is a 15-20 minute walk to Columbian Park and every year they walk to the park and spend the day going to the zoo, riding the train around the pond, and playing at the playground. I chaperoned and only had three kids in my group, and one was my son, but trying to keep all three in the same part of the park and zoo required much skill on my part. I didn't lose any of them though and I think they all had a really fun time. Here are some pictures of the field trip.

The virus from hell

Last week Jack's soccer practice was canceled, as we were all saddened by this event, we decided to go to a field and throw frisbees. As we were in the midst of our running, laughing, and enjoying the great outdoors Jack just laid down. We took this as a sign to go home because Jack is not a child to just take a moment to lay down when there are frisbees involved. Once home we decide to set up sheets and pillows on the floor in our room. I don't want to really get into what happened all the rest of the night, but to put it mildly there was a lot of sickness all night long. The next day Jack slept 5-6 hours, it wore him out.  We had a strict no food no drink rule the next day. As long as he followed it things went well, but that night I left the boys with Pete, who was starting to feel badly himself. When I returned that night these are things that I found-- lights on in every room of the house, cheese on the wall, cheese on the floor, muffins crumbs on the floor, muffin wrappers everywhere, fruit snack wrappers all over the place, deli ham on the floor, and Pete laying with his head at the foot of the bed fast asleep. That night, due to all the food consumption, Jack and the bathroom were frenemies once more.

The next day we were driving to Kentucky for my sister's wedding and we were very strict with Jack about no food. He wasn't pleased but we weren't giving in. The wedding was beautiful and everyone looked good, but let's cut to the dinner that night. It was at an Italian restaurant and they had the back room reserved for us. When we arrived Luke started saying that his stomach hurt. I told him it was probably because he hadn't really used the bathroom that day so we went back there to give it a whirl. Still, a little bit later he was really starting to whine that his stomach hurt. Pete suggested we leave, but we hadn't been there very long and we hadn't eaten yet. Plus, we drove all that way to be there, so I wasn't ready to leave. I suggested that we just eat and leave-not stay for dessert or anything that may happen after. My sister had a pillow in her car so we put it on the floor in the back, and I sat down next to him holding his hand. My dad took off his jacket and laid it across Luke. I really thought that we might make it. I was wrong. He sits up, opens his mouth, and out it all came. I grab a cloth napkin from the table and put it over his mouth, scoop him up, and run to the bathroom. The thing that should be noted is that the bathroom is on the other end of the restaurant, it is dinner so the place is packed, and Luke is still vomiting as I run him through the dining area to the bathroom. Once in the bathroom I take off his shirt rinse it out and clean him up as best I can. I then carry him back through the restaurant without his shirt. We decide to get out quick after that.

That night Luke continued to have issues, Jack was fine, and we set Thomas up in a room by himself. After many trips to the bathroom and thinking I may finally be able to settle in for the night/morning, I hear that all too familiar noise, so I run to grab Luke only to find it isn't Luke or Jack. Oh no!!!!! Thomas!!!!!!!! Yup- Thomas. It was a long night and morning. I don't think I have done so much laundry in so short a time period in my whole life.

We cut out of town pretty early because the kids just needed to get home. Luckily, the car ride was not eventful--thank goodness. Luke slept almost the whole way home and no children were allowed to eat anything.

The next day things were looking better, Jack was going to school, Thomas was just cranky, but that is pretty normal, and Luke was tired. Then--Pete!!!! Oh my. Poor Pete. I was scheduled to be reader/librarian for Jack's class that afternoon and Pete was going to stay with the kids, I ended up leaving Luke to watch a movie/sleep at home with Pete while Thomas got to go with me to Jack's library time. It went well and the kids loved seeing Thomas-now when they see him at pick up they say -Hi Thomas!!! Pete had a rough night and we stayed out of his hair by having a movie night.

So just when we thought it had past I was attacked by this horrible virus. So yes, everyone got it. We are only just now all feeling back to normal. Since food had pretty much been eliminated from our daily routine we were able to, inadvertently, learn the cause of the stomach issues plaguing some of the male members of our house-lactose intolerance. I guess that changes a lot about how we eat and prepare food. 

There you have it--the virus from hell. If we gave it to you- I am sorry. It really sucks.

To my sister on her wedding day

On this big weekend for you dear sister I sit here wondering what I should say to you, how I can help you, or how to let you know there is love and support surrounding you. Your wedding is this weekend and that is so huge. I wish for you all the happiness in the world, but you already have a head start because watching you on your wedding day will be your daughter. She gets to witness her mom and dad officially uniting their lives together. There will be one person not there, and it is this omission in festivities that makes me so sad for you. On the weekend of not only your wedding, but also Mother's Day, your mom won't be there.

I would love to be able to share motherly wisdom, I want to know what she would have done or said so I can whisper it to you on this day, but she wasn't at my wedding either, so I have no clue how to invoke her spirit this weekend. Of course, even if I could, it is not the same as having her here. Sadly, you have already experienced a moment in a woman's life when she really wants her mom, the birth of her first child, especially, when you know that she would not have been judgmental, she would have understood, given love, support, and honesty in terms of what difficulties and joys lay ahead.

As the years pass I must say I remember her less and less, the actual memories get mixed in with the pictures and home videos. The thing I remember the most is how much she loved us. She listened to us go on and on, she saw the best in us at our worst, she laughed with us, hugged us, and rubbed our kisses in at night. She was someone who was fiercely loyal and would have gone down swinging in order to protect us or help us out of any situation.

The things I remember most about her I see in you. You love passionately, you work hard, you are devoted to family, you have known sorrow, pain, and hardship but you have not dwelt on it; you still have the ability to laugh and enjoy life.

Mom gave you the blessing or the burden , depending on the day, of having many siblings. So that no matter where you go in life you will always be judged and talked about behind your back. ;p You will also always have a built in support system, cheerleaders, advice givers, and listeners.

In dying early, in not being able to participate in the big moments of our lives, I feel like mom taught us the value of time. We don't know how much time we get in this life,we don't know how many chances we have to hug, kiss, snuggle, make memories, laugh, listen, and show affection. So as long as take this with you everyday I know that you will have a wonderful and blessed life.

we weigels have fun

Today Jack was outside with his brothers and a boy who lives down the street and I heard him say - you shouldn't say hate. If you don't like something you say you don't like it you don't say hate. Haha- love it. I found it was the boy a few houses down he was talking to, kudos Jack.

Thomas was kicking our small Germany soccer ball around the house when the ball got caught under his feet and he fell face forward into our door and the door frame. Blood gushed everywhere, it was gross and I am proud to say that I took it like a man. ;p   Ok. So this isn't about me but I am proud of myself for not nearly passing out when seeing blood. His mouth injury has been bleeding on and off since and it is pretty unsettling to look over and see your baby with blood ringed around his mouth, but after talking to g and p we agree that it is just because the skin is so thin and he keeps irritating it. Still I feel badly for the boy.

Luke has always loved drawing on himself and getting washable tattoos. The other day he was at our friends house when he discovered stamps. If you stamp your arm all over this lasts longer and the picture stays intact longer than a washable tattoo. He has informed me that he likes stamps on his arms much better and we need to get stamps. When retelling this to Pete I learned of an even newer development-- an actual tattoo. Luke saw a guy with a real tattoo and learned that they never come off and has decided he wants one. While we can keep him tattoo free until 18 I think tattoos are in his future.

We went to the zoo today and Luke has been pumped up for a week or more. He wanted to see the sharks, rhinos, giraffes, and monkeys. He picked his outfit a week ago and has been talking about it nonstop. I am thrilled to say that the zoo met his expectations and the rhino was by far the winner of the day.

jack with tiger jaws 

Thomas was so interested in every single thing

My kids love to play in the water no matter the temperature. We went to the Purdue fountains and they played hard then while at the zoo they ran into the fountains -no fear.

After spending the day with his kids my husband thanked me for giving him a boat load of kids. I must say this is a pretty sexy thing-- a man who loves his kids as much Pete loves his.

Even when they jump on him and play with toys on top of him while he is sleeping.