Messy messes

Last week there were a couple days when things went bonkers over here. First thing- Thomas decided to take a bite out of the food processor blade. He cut the outside and the inside of his lip. At first I thought he would need stitches because the bleeding wouldn't stop, but after awhile it did.

One day Jack went bonkers crazy and started throwing this big Angry Birds toy around the room. We had the disco ball light sitting on the dinner table/plugged into the wall, Jack threw the bird at the wall, it hit the clock which fell (and came apart), and then somehow the disco ball flew off the table and became unplugged. The end result was that our outlet was destroyed.

One afternoon we had lunch then I put the boys in the tub but needed to come downstairs to grab a cup when I noticed that Tigran was looking shamefaced and that the 'dining area' was covered in tomato sauce and chocolate milk.

 

 We also had an incident in the bathroom involving powder. Basically, they powder bombed the bathroom and they poured a ton into the vent.



Then Pete bought this bottle of blue blob goo which promptly got dumped out and rubbed into the carpet. I do not have a picture of this. Oh man, it was really a crazy week. I did learn that vinegar and cold water is the best way to get out all types of stains.

Jack is 6 and reading

Jack is 6!!! Whoa. He loves 'karate', power rangers, angry birds, transformers, ninja turtles, and basically anything typical for a 6-year-old boy. He is kind and generous beyond measure, and is a great big brother. It is truly amazing to watch him in action with his brothers. When Luke turned 3 Jack asked Luke to stand up to compare heights and said,' Wow Luke you are such a big boy now!' When school was delayed 2 hours he said, ' This is awesome because now I get to spend two extra hours with you on your birthday.' He does stuff like this all the time. I mean, of course, he also does stuff like kick his brother in the stomach or push him down, but it would be weird if he didn't.

He has tried his hand a soccer and basketball this year. I think soccer is a bit more natural for him, but he really loved playing basketball too. He has joined the chess club this semester and I am amazed at how quickly he has picked it up. He got to play the best kid last week and played him to a draw. Jack really wants to take karate so I told him I would look into it. He is starting to gain more confidence in reading and has been reading me Hop on Pop and Go Dog Go. 

Jack and I love to read together so I thought I would make a list of a few books we have been enjoying lately.

 -Wayside Series by Louis Sachar

-The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

-How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell (the books are not like the movie at all).

-Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osbourne (though he can almost read these to himself now so I will stop reading them to him soon)

-Captain Underpants by Dave Pilkey (this is set up like a comic strip or a comic book so once he becomes more confident in his reading this will be a series that is easier for him to enjoy by himself)

-Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinmann Sharmat (he prefers to download these from Audible and listen to them in the car)

-Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (this started out well but then it made Jack sad and he didn't want to keep reading it. He felt too bad for the kids in the story.)

-Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

 

We have a few other books we have recently checked out, but not read yet

-Pippi Longstocking by Michael Chesworth

-Guardians of Ga'Hoole by Kathryn Huang

To be fair here are some books I have read with Luke and Thomas

-Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin

-Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

-Caps for Sale by Esphyr  Slobodkina

- Snip Snap What's That by Mara Bergman

-Clifford Books by Norman Bridwell

-Babushka Baba Yaga by Patricia Polacco

-Cow Can't Fly by David Milgrim

-Are You My Mother by P.D. Eastman

-Corduroy by Don Freeman

-The Froggy Books by Jonathan London

-Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

Luke, my awesome 3-year-old

Luke is this three- year- old I know, he is totally cool. He is utterly and completely in love with Incredible Hulk. I think this started when we noticed that most of the time he was a precious little boy with sparkling eyes and a huge smile, but then a burst of anger would just shoot out of him and in an instant that smile would turn into him head butting you as hard as he could, (he has a very hard head), or he would try to tackle and punch you. We began to call him Hulk around the house, I guess it stuck and turned into an obsession. The boy is very serious about it and there is no messing around or joking that maybe Jack or Thomas is Hulk instead, nope that results in one of those anger explosions, just to show us all that he is the one and only Hulk. Don't get the wrong idea he is super sweet, I mean kisses, hugs, snuggles, loving on you all the time. He adores his older brother and worries/helps out with the younger one. He has this natural charisma that people wish they could bottle and sell. If you doubt that some people are just born with it then you need to come meet Luke. Once when we were at the airport very late, past the time when the food shops are open, some of the custodial staff saw us walk by and they smiled, but then they saw Luke and before we knew it Luke was the proud owner of a bag of chips- stuff like this happens to him all the time.

He loves music. He sings Gotye, Carly Rae Jepsen, Rhianna, LMFAO, Fun, Katy Perry, PSY and Taylor Swift. When a good song comes on he begins to kick his feet. When watching a video he watches the dance moves intently and after a couple viewings he begins to try out the moves himself. He goes with me to aerobics and now songs on the radio are quickly declared to be aerobics songs or not.

He loves Jack. Jack loves Power Rangers so Luke loves Power Rangers. Luke also loves sharks, they are second behind Hulk, and when they do karate moves and call out their Power Rangers name Luke always says- Surging Shark.

He loves his giraffe bogie, he loves to color and draw, and has started drawing people with arms, legs, and faces, but what I thought was super funny is that he was very concerned that the people have ears. When I asked about the noses he had forgotten he said,' Oh, silly me.' He loves to play cars, wrestle, and have me read to him.

He had been told that 3-year-olds are big boys and he had also been told that big boys use the potty so on his birthday he told us he was a now an underwear boy and not a diaper boy. He meant it this time too. He gave his diapers to Thomas and won't even wear a diaper at night (for 3 out of 4 nights he has woken up dry).

3 is one of my favorite ages for kids. 3-year-olds are so cool. They are free, loving, totally themselves, give everything their all and are so confident even if they are wrong. They are awesome. I am definitely looking forward to hanging out with and getting to know my 3-year-old this year.

To baby or not to baby?

Is it just me or does it feel liked I am being inundated by women having 4 kids? Mya Rudolph, Tori Spelling, Victoria Beckham, Heidi Klum, and then there dads Mark Walhberg and Matt Damon. It seems like many friends are expecting child #4. Is this a fad? Is this the new normal? I thought the trend was fewer kids, if so I don't think everyone has gotten the memo, or did I not get the memo about having more kids?

When Pete and I got married we received this book that allowed us to tell the story of 'Us as a Couple'. We filled it out on our honeymoon and of course predicting the future was one section and under kids there is a discrepancy, I said 4 and Pete said 3. Now we are at that critical juncture of 3 kids and maybe one day 4 kids. We aren't really sure which direction to go. We have time, luckily, we are young enough and healthy enough that this does not have to be solved tomorrow, but over the last few months it has started entering my thoughts almost daily. Three kids is still a lot of kids and just because you can have four does not diminish the effort and work that is three kids, however there is a part of me that feels like having 4 kids really earns you your motherhood stripes and as a stay-at-home I really want my motherhood stripes. Seeing three kids with a mom is not unheard of, but seeing a mom with 4 kids makes you go-wow that is a lot of kids. Pete says three kids is pretty crazy and four would be insane and is it fair to the kids? Kids need attention, they need stuff, basically they just need. If you want each of your kids to feel loved, cherished, protected, unique, and special, can you do it well with 4 kids? There are times now when we end the day knowing that we ignored one kid or the other because there was more of a demand elsewhere. I know that poor Jack often gets the brunt of it since he is older, I catch myself saying, "Jack not now can't you see I am busy with your brothers." or "You are old enough to do that yourself, don't you see I am busy?" I realize it later and tell myself I am helping to make him more independent and an expert problem solver, but really I am just saying I don't have time for you and if I add one more kid to the mix then it will just get worse. Pretty soon Jack won't be asking me to do this or that with him or to watch him do crazy moves because he will have outgrown it, and I don't want to have missed it. Plus, when our kids are teenagers we need to be there for each one to help guide them on the tumultuous path between childhood and adulthood and it starts with a strong foundation and relationship that you build when they are young. So far I think we have done a pretty good job, but what if it gets to be too much? Of course, there is the money aspect. We aren't rolling in the dough now and basically we never will be, and while we know first hand you don't need loads of money to raise happy healthy kids, there is still that stress on Pete to provide.

There are also selfish reasons not have 4 kids. I have been lucky enough to bounce back into good shape after each kid, but I am in my 30s now and it does get harder. What if I have one more and I can't get my body back to what I am used to? Plus, I'd like to buy a few really good pair of jeans and not worry about if they will only be worn for a couple months before I get pregnant and then maybe never worn again based on how my body bounces back. Also, now when my kids wake up in the middle of the night I am really dragging the next day, more than even a year ago, do I really want to intentionally put myself through less sleep? I really like sleep. I'd like to go on dates with my husband without worrying about how a sitter is going to manage watching four kids. Finding housing in the future and picking where to live is influenced by all these kids. Pete could get a job in NYC and housing there is already insane, add 4 kids to the mix and is it even an option? Though, I don't really want to move to NYC so maybe 4 kids is a positive for me in that regard. Oh, and diapers- man I am so done with diapers.

Then there are selfish reasons to have that 4th kid. I am not ready to give up on being a woman who can give birth. When I see a baby or a pregnant woman I can look over and smile knowing, if I wish, that can be me or not, the choice is mine. I don't want to give that up yet. As my kids get older and need me less, there is a part of me that wants to be needed and having a baby gives me that one more child who will give me kisses, tell me they love me, hold my hand, and ask me to just cuddle with them. Having kids can make you feel old, but it keeps you young-just watch my husband play with his kids and you will totally understand. As a stay-at-home mom having little kids is sort of what keeps me 'employed'- if all my kids go off to school then I will have to find a job and I have no idea what I would do. I need more kids to keep me gainfully employed.

Pete had basically solved the problem for us by laying down the law-no more kids, but then he made the mistake of telling some friends that it was more the woman's decision than the man's. Now I just don't know. If you were to ask me out right my answer would be that I want one more baby. Then I begin to think about it and I go back and forth. That is a lot of extra work, time, effort, stress, chauffeuring, buckling of seat belts, changing of diapers, and kids fighting. Of course, it is more love, laughter, stories to tell, adventures to go on, playing, catching the brothers truly enjoying one another, and the possibility of lots of grandkids. Hopefully, if I have enough, one of them is bound to take me in if I get too old and senile. I want Pete on board too, you don't want to just bombard your spouse with new babies, and at first I didn't think it would happen, but today we were walking and he saw a woman carrying a small baby in a Baby Bjorn and he looked over and smiled and said, "Look a baby." Hmm.. was that an invitation?

fingerpaints and playdough

When bored, tired of doing the same thing, and mom is sick of the Power Rangers, it is time to be creative. This meant trying homemade finger paints. We made two different batches to see which we liked best. The first we made on the stove with cornstarch, water, and food coloring. It was really cool feeling and looking. However, as we started using it there were far too many lumps and gloopies, as we called them.

Then we tried a simply light corn syrup plus food coloring combination. Yes, it was sticky, but it was by far the favorite. It was smooth and bright so the kids loved it.

The next day we looked at the pictures and I don't think we have found the perfect concoction, but it was fun trying. The cornstarch one dried very hard and cracked when you moved the paper. The corn syrup one had a neat glossy feel to it but was still slightly sticky.

Jack had to make a sock puppet for school so we decided to do it while still in an artistic mind set. Here is Super Kid Golly.

Last week we made playdough and Luke still loves playing with it. We made one large green batch that we stick in a plastic baggie-easy transport. It has helped make his coming with me to aerobics bearable-just bring the playdough and he has something to do until he feels comfortable enough to run around with the other kids. It is so fun-here is the recipe.
 1 cup white flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tablespoon cream of tartar 
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup water
food coloringMix first 4 ingredients in a pan. Add water and mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 – 5 minutes. Dough will become difficult to stir and form a “clump”. Remove from stove and knead for 5 minutes–add food coloring during kneading process

Home

Home. Tonight I talked with some friends about home. Is Indiana home? Is Kentucky home? What is home? I talked to Pete and realized I probably offended my friends with what I had said-- I am sorry. I guess I haven't really thought about what home is or what it means to me. Home is a small word that evokes so much emotion.

When we go home for holidays, summer visits, and family events we go to Kentucky, this includes visiting my in-laws. When I was brought home from the hospital it was to the same house my dad lives in now. I went to high school and college in Kentucky. I cheer for the Cards and roll my eyes at the Cats. Even knowing what that sentence means and that I know Cats fans would get quite angry over something so simple must make me a true Bluegrass girl. When I heard Ashley Judd was thinking about running for Senate I was excited I would get the chance to vote for her-- but I won't because my ID says Indiana and by the time she runs who knows what my ID will say. I grew up in the town where my dad grew up until around high school and then they moved to Evansville, which is just across the bridge. I grew up with my grandparents (on both sides) and most of my aunts, uncles, and cousins within 20 minutes. Surely this is home. Roots--they must equal home.

In KY I went through an adjustment period of trying to figure out who I was without a mom and as a young adult. I made mistakes, offended people, hurt people, but I began to find myself, found a few good friends and met Pete. Does a place that helps you discover who you are equal home?

In KY I had my grown-up job as a teacher, bought my first car, got married, had a baby, and bought a house. In the second trimester of my first pregnancy I went into labor at 22.5 weeks and in KY he has a gravestone. There is a part of us that will always be in KY. Is this home?

We have lived in Indiana since 2007. That is a very long time. Jack was still a baby. I have had two more kids since moving here. Pete is a Boilermaker and unless they are playing the Cards-- I root for the Black and Gold. My favorite football team is the Indianapolis Colts, this year maybe I am a little angry at them for trading Manning, but I will get over it in time. Almost immediately upon arriving here I found someone I know I will consider a best friend/sister for the rest of my life. Through her I met so many other wonderful friends that I hope I keep in contact with for years to come- they are all so amazing. Does this mean home?

Jack is now going to school here, we see the same parents at pick-up everyday, he is joining sports teams where we are seeing a few of the same faces, and next year he'll go to the same school where the principal and all the teachers say hi to him whenever they see him. Our Christmas card is up at the doctor's office. When we go to the store I have conversations with the check-out lady and she asks about my kids. When Pete goes to Qdoba the whole store stops what it is doing, almost, to ask about him and his kids. Is home where everybody knows your name?

We have traditions, events, rituals, and places we love to go. We are familiar and comfortable with the ebb and flow of activity in town due to the university. We consider ourselves part of the town vs students even though this is just a stop in our journey. Spring brings Springfest and walking in the botanical garden, summer brings swim lessons and having the town to ourselves, fall brings the Boilermaker Special, orange barricades for those drunk college kids, and winter means picking out our Christmas tree, throwing ice into the Wabash River, and a trip to Wolf Park. We have built our family here. 

Where my husband and kids are is my home no matter what, but this sense of home, this feeling of being at home, when you are asked where you are from-- how do you answer? 

I have watched my friends here raise babies who are now school aged children, I have done it with them, I have seen them get pregnant, they have seen the same of me. They have cooked me meals, taught joy school with me, invited me to play dates, and helped me live through so many of the most precious moments of my life. Home.

I think I worry about the next stop in life. The next place I go. I think I am afraid to call this place home because I know I will leave it. I will once again walk away from home. It scares me. If it isn't home it doesn't matter. This is wrong because it diminishes and belittles every moment and person I have encountered on my journey and life here. I never wanted to do that. I could never replace the love and support I have had here. I have always thought of home as where you grew up, where you went to high school. Then, at some random point years ago, I decided home would be our permanent city. I attached no real reason to this thought, only that a place where we stay for many years and where our kids go to high school must surely be home. This will be true at some point in the future, but does this mean I am to be homeless until then? I hadn't really thought about it in much detail before tonight. 

I suppose I would say that a place where you have family and/or friends who love, support, and look out for you is home no matter how long you are there. Kentucky was my childhood home. Indiana has been more than a home I think. It has been this wonderful place that can never be replicated. The moments, days, and years of your young children's life are fleeting but so full of moments/events/hardships, and to have a place where your husband's work schedule allows him to be there in ways a set 9-5 job would never allow is such a huge blessing and to have found a best friend who has shared those moments with you as well--it only happens once. Both places have shaped me and found a place in my heart-- both are home. 

Boys are emotional too

I have learned that boys aren't free from being emotional. Girls get a bad rap for being overly dramatic, but I am here to tell you that girls don't have the copyright on that. I have three lovely boys that done lost their minds.

 Thomas is in a screaming temper tantrum phase. An example- he and Luke were eating waffles and oranges for breakfast. The waffles were gone but there were still oranges. Thomas thought Luke still had waffles and he wanted them. Once I told him no he just screamed as loud as he could, looked at me and screamed again. To emphasize his point he pushed his plate away, threw his cup, screamed, brought his plate and cup back towards himself only to push it away again. He looked at me to see my reaction and since I was ignoring him he screamed even louder and began to throw the food off his plate onto the floor. This is a fairly average response to anything that makes him mad.

Luke is in a crying phase. He cries over anything and everything for no reason. He wants juice, I give him juice and he cries, I take it back, he cries, I return it  he cries, and so it goes. Last night I go to clear his plate, he cried, I asked if he wanted the food, he said no but still wanted the plate, I gave it back to him, he cries-- I had no idea what to do. 

Jack sometimes gets in these moods where he says why do you make me....., why do you always...., and you had better..... .  Last night this mood was extreme. I asked him to turn off angry birds in 2 minutes and he asked me why I always make him turn off his game immediately. This then progressed into telling me I had better make dinner that he likes otherwise he won't eat it. Once we were eating dinner he told me it was the most disgusting thing ever-- it was spaghetti. Things went downhill.

Of course, it all happened at the same time while Pete was studying and I was home with the boys. The trifecta-Thomas was screaming, Luke was crying, and Jack had attitude. I decided it was a margarita kind of night once the boys went to bed. Don't think you are free from drama if you have boys--it turns out that all kids are dramatic.