Kid Quotes

The coming baby is a huge topic of discussion around here for our kids and there are a lot of funny things that come out of their almost 4 and almost 5 year old mouths.

The children were wondering, the other day, how many babies were in my tummy. One? Two? They grinned. Maybe there's three or even four babies! They practiced the word 'quadruplet' just in case. Then I asked where we would put them all if we had four more babies to love. Katie thought for a moment and said that two of them could share the extra bunk bed and two of them could sleep on the floor. After a really long and thoughtful pause, where I got to watch her mind work while I wondered what she was trying to figure out, she added, "with pillows!" I guess she thought the floor would be nicer with something soft for your head.

Another big topic here lately has been birthdays, since we are quickly approaching birthday season here. We were discussing details with Sarah about what she'd like for her birthday. "Cake!" she shouted with a big smile. Chocolate with chocolate icing, of course. "What about dinner?" I asked. It is our tradition that the birthday person gets to have their favorite dinner on their birthday, no matter what it is. "Cake!" she shouted at me with a suddenly impish looking grin.

Now as much as I'd love to have cake for dinner, I just can't manage to let nutrition suffer that much. So I tried another tactic. "What's your favorite veggie?" She didn't hesitate when she told me "Carrots!" Great. We're getting somewhere.

"What's your favorite meat?" She looked around, apparently giving this some serious thought. I had high hopes that she might tell me she loved lemon chicken, or pork chops, or I'd even settle for hotdogs. "Well," she began with her eyes sparkling with mischief, "if cake was a meat, we could have cake for dinner!"

Oh well. I've been trying with no success to find out what dinner Sarah loves, but I now know she loves onion rolls, cake, cereal, cake, carrots and cake.

Smart Girl

While Sam drove us around yesterday, Katie was full of questions. One of which was regarding the pedals we use to operate our cars.

"Daddy," she said, "Do you have pedals in your car?"

"Yes!" he said, "I have three pedals and your Mommy has two pedals in her car."

She thought for a minute before she said, "Is the third pedal the fast pedal?"

Too Sweet

"Let's have a feast for Daddy today, Mommy. Outside!" This was the thought that filled Josie's head when she learned that her daddy wasn't home. He was out the door before the kids got up and he wouldn't be back until dinner time.

"Yeah!" chimed in Katie, catching the excitement of the plan from her sister. "Let's have a feast at the table outside!"

"A feast! A feast!" shouted Sarah, jumping around from room to room.

I laughed at their antics, but thought the idea deserved a bit of exploring. "So what would you like to eat at this feast for Daddy?"

"Hamburgers!" Cried Josie.

"And somethin' with dippin' sauce!" added Katie.

"A feast! A feast!" Sarah continued to yell from the other room, where she was still bouncing.

"How about potato salad?" I helpfully suggested.

"Nah, I don't need potato salad." (Josie likes to keep her meals simple).

"Coleslaw?"

"No thank you. I don't eat coleslaw." Katie was right. She never does.

"Beans? I know you all like beans and so does Daddy."

"Yeah!" they both shouted.

"And how about some French fries for dippin' in ketchup?" Katie said, just as Sarah came bounding by yelling "A feast! A feast!" Poor Sarah almost fell over trying to stop in time to add her hearty approval to Katie's suggestion.

"Oooh. And can we have deviled eggs?" Josie was starting to get the hang of this feast idea.

So tonight, for the best daddy in the whole world, we will throw a feast. We will show him our love by cooking and setting a fine table for the king of our castle, and he will love us right back by eating hamburgers, potato chips, French fries, baked beans and deviled eggs. We began the preparations this afternoon by baking a cake for him. And tonight, decorated with kid created adornments, our deck will be the envy of every other dad on our block!

Too Cute To Keep To Myself

After a hard day of play at Grandma's house, Sarah falls asleep in the car. While her sisters climb out of the van and up the stairs in the house, I non-too-gently pull Sarah from her car seat. She moans a little, but snuggles her head into my neck and snores.

It's late enough in the day that I decide to put Sarah to bed, though her sisters won't join her for another hour. I lay her down in her crib and she quickly rolls to her side. She is still in her clothes, though, and in need of a new diaper to get her through the night, so I roll her on her back and begin to unbuckle her overalls. As I'm wondering why I had to choose overalls for her today, she opens her eyes a little and, though her eyes look vacant, she grins at me. As I wiggle the overalls past her cute little chubby thighs, she giggles.

I stare at her face, fearful that she will wake up. She has had just enough of a nap to ruin bed time if she should really wake up now. I pull the overalls completely off and she giggles some more. Her eyes are closed and she is still asleep.

As I pull off her diaper, her giggles turn to full belly laughs, though she isn't awake. I try to stifle my laughter but find it almost impossible as she impishly giggles and rolls away from me with her bottom still naked. I roll her back over and wiggle her diaper on, much to her sleepy delight. She laughs again when the blanket tickles her chin.

I'm left wanting to scoop her little cuteness right out of that crib to wake her up with hugs and kisses. I don't though. I leave the room with a smile, completely filled with joy, and go tickle her sisters to within an inch of their little lives.

Discovery

My babies have discovered worms.

They are equally fascinated and grossed out by these little creatures, which makes for an interesting time outside. And since we spend about 80% of our day exploring outside, they have become near experts on the kinds of worms one can find in a north Jersey backyard.

I'm not a real big fan of bugs, myself. But I'm pretty sure my kiddo's haven't guessed that yet. I do my best to exclaim over the hairiness of that worm, or the wet sliminess of this one, all without ever running away, screaming! Okay, I'm not that bad. But still. I don't like them. Worms I mean. Not kids.

They haven't embraced flying bugs yet, thank goodness. Or ants. Just worms. I wonder what is next?

For Love Of Books

The moment she's dressed and sees I have socks in my hand, Sarah's face lights up and she says "We goin' to lie-berry?" Admittedly, we are there at least once a week, sometimes more often if books I've ordered have come in early, but we certainly don't go every time I put socks and shoes on her little pudgy feet. She is just ever hopeful that the van will ignore that Mommy thinks we are traveling to the grocery store and, instead, stop right at the end of our street so she can touch the books and help the ladies behind the counter and ask every last library patron she can reach "Whatcha doin'?"

She truly loves that place. And she loves the things we bring home from it. I can put some music on (which I have lately also been getting from the library) and all three of my babies will go choose a book from our 'library shelf' where we almost always have a dozen or more books, and they will find a cozy spot to love their book for a while before trading it for a different one. Sometimes they read to each other, making up simple stories from the pictures in the book. Other times they work very hard to remember the written story, even going so far as to use the first letter on the page to remind themselves how it starts.

I didn't like our library at first, because it is so very tiny and difficult to visit. The use of their online catalog, however, and the ability to summon volumes from libraries all over the county and even the state, if need be, has opened up our little world in ways I had never imagined. We would be lost without our library and I'm so grateful that my children have so easily attached themselves to the wonders that even our tiny library can hold.

A Worthwhile Walk

I almost didn't go. I felt bad, though, because I made the children come in early from playing outside today. Our 6-ish year old neighbor came out with her friend to play and they . . . don't have the same values that we do. I don't like when they play together. So I called the kids in about a half hour early for dinner. As I called them in, I thought to myself 'we'll go for a walk after dinner to even this out' but when dinner ended, I didn't really feel like a walk. One look at their little faces, though, and I was motivated.

As we walked out the door, the kids noticed the moon up in the sky. It was missing half, they said. Why? So they learned about how the sun shines on the moon and sometimes the earth gets in the way and makes a big shadow.

We walked along a little further and met another mother out with her 4 year old twins. We had met in passing before but we all had the opportunity to stop for a few minutes to chat and learn each others names. Hers is Jill. There. I've written it down and now I won't forget it. lol. We will get together sometime and see if we can strike up a friendship.

A little further down the street was a lovely magnolia tree. It was just starting to bloom, so there were lots of little fuzzy 'ears' on the ground to feel and play with. They were curious about them, so we talked about how they protect the flower bud until it's time for the tree to bloom.

Then, on the way back home, we saw a man in his driveway cleaning his motorcycle. It drew the kids in like a magnet. He was simply delighted at all their questions. I kept thanking him for being so kind and patient with their little hands all over his shined up bike. We learned that he has an 8 month old daughter who he hopes will grow up to be just as interested as my three were. We didn't learn his name, but the kids know where he lives now. And they know that he just happens to have three bikes in his garage. 3 babies . . . 3 bikes . . . coincidence? They don't think so! lol

Finally, just as we turned the corner back onto our street, a man in a big white SUV pulled up and got out of his car. He was a realtor putting up signs for an open house tomorrow. Josie, who has suddenly found her confidence, yelled out to him "Hey! You have a beard just like our Daddy!" He gave a warm laugh and chatted with them for a few moments, explaining his sign and the reason for it. When we started to move on, Sarah held out her hand and said "You comin' with us?" She was dissappointed when he said he couldn't but she seemed to understand that his family would miss him deeply if we abducted him. We made it home just in time to watch the last bits of light fade from the sky.

We didn't really make it all that far, as far as walks go, but we did and learned so much. It was perfect.

And to think we almost didn't go.

Sleepy Sweetie

Katie was coughing a few nights ago and when I went in to check on her she was sitting up in bed. This is usually a sure sign that she is about to get sick, so I scooped her up and brought her out of her room. Instead of needing to contain a mess, however, I found myself with a snuggly baby! I brought her to the living room, prepared to offer her a drink, but she refused. Instead, she said "I think I'm asleep, Mommy." Her eyes were closed and she buried her face in my neck. I told her she was probably right.

" I love you, Mommy"

"I love you too, sweetie." She gave a heavy sigh.

"Can you put me back in bed, Mommy?" So I did. I didn't want too. I would have happily sat up all night, enjoying the feel of her snuggled into my neck. It's rare that she and I get that opportunity.

Dinner Time

Dinner time has become a challenge. Cooking goes well, setting the table is the job of the children and getting everyone to the table is easy. Once we are sitting down, however, is when the fun begins.

Two little three year olds who have discovered that they can have a good conversation if they ask questions or tell us about their day and a two year old who likes to talk to her peas makes for a very loud dinner. All three of them spend the first two minutes eating and then they are all speaking at once and there is no way to stop them! lol

We are trying to teach them to wait their turn and say "excuse me" when they have something to say, but instead of helping things it has compounded the problem. Now, while two of them are talking, one of them is just saying "excuse me . . ." over and over and over!

And, it's nearly impossible for Sam or I to get a word in edge wise.

I remember when we visited Jennie's house while I was pregnant with the twins. We had dinner at her house and her children were also little chatter boxes, though they did take turns. At the end of the meal, Dave looked at my belly and then looked at Sam and said "Are you ready for this?" We laughed at the time. If only we had realized! lol

Good Luck Gone Bad

Josie must have been excited at her good luck when she spied what appeared to be a piece of chocolate just laying there on the ground. She grabbed it and ate it.

Then she came running over to me with tears in her eyes.

"Mommy! I just ate a bad piece of chocolate!"

Poor little thing felt betrayed by that clump of dirt. But she learned a good lesson. Don't eat any chocolate you may find outside on the ground! At least not without asking Mommy first.

A Day On The Farm

Farmer Julie is so sweet and patient with my three little ones. We visit her dairy in NY state and buy raw milk from her about every two weeks. Each time we go she devotes about and hour and a half to us, showing the girls different chores around the barn and letting them groom her cows, draw on her big chalk board and feed as much hay as they want to the appreciative calves. The kids know the drill. They know what is okay for them to touch and which chores they can do alone. And they know which chores require a little more help from dear farmer Julie.

Here's a video of my three little angels helping with some bedding clean up in the barn. I hope you enjoy the video as much as the kids enjoyed making it!

These Little Girls

These little girls are three.



And there is so much they can do now, because they are bigger. They make it through a whole day without a binky now, with only a simple reminder that they are three. They happily and carefully complete their chores with a smile, because they are three. And they swallow. Three year olds don't hold food in their mouth for 2 and a half hours after a meal is over. No sir. They swallow every piece of food that goes in their mouth right away. Whew.

This Little Girl

This little girl is 2.



And she's pretty darned happy about it, too.

They Did It!

My sweet little ones, after much discussion about it all day long and a little sadness at bed time, went to sleep without their bottles last night (even Sarah!). We snuggled and drank our milk from cups before bed and then I tucked them into their little beds. Josie asked about the bottles several times and, as I was leaving, she asked if she could have lovie instead. They haven't wanted to snuggle with their little animals for months. So, I dug out their lovies and they quietly went off to sleep.

Good job, big girls!

Understanding

"Where's Daddy?" Katie asked me this morning.

"He had to go to the doctor today." Not completely true. He went to physical therapy for his back because his regular doctor does not believe in chiropractors.

"Are they going to check on his heart today?"



I've never spoken to them about his heart, really. They've just gleaned information from our conversations, I guess, but I almost cried.

Dwindling Diaper Budget

105

That's the minimum number of diapers I've been using every week for the last year and a half. This number assumes that everyone wearing this ridiculous number of diapers pooped when they were supposed to and not inconveniently directly after being changed. A rare occurrence.

My local club warehouse store sells a few brands of diapers in giant boxes. For most normal 'one-baby-in-diapers-at-a-time' families, these boxes should last them about a month. I had to buy one every week for a minimum price of $20 per box if I got the really really cheap brand or $40 if I went and splurged on real, honest-to-goodness Pampers. Coupons helped, but when your grocery budget is a mere $100 a week to feed, clean and diaper a family of five (well, two of us don't use diapers), a $20 chunk out of that kind of hurts.

For the past week, however, Katie and Josie have only been using a diaper to go to bed. I'm still using the same box I bought two and a half weeks ago! I actually almost went running out the other day to pick up more before I stopped to think about it. I still have enough to get us through to the end of this week, at least. Maybe longer!

I'm really liking the idea of $30 or $40 per month instead of per week. And Sarah is begging to use the potty now, so who knows. Maybe I won't have to spend anything on diapers soon.

A Wonderful Book

I checked "Home Learning Year by Year" by Rebecca Rupp from our library last week. I highly recommend it for anyone who has children at home. It gives you a nice idea of where your child should be each year, a loose guideline to check your progress, but more importantly it gives you an incredible list of books a resources you can use with your children.

If you haven't seen it already, you really aught to give it a try. But don't bother looking for it at my library right now. I've got it for another two weeks!

Growing Pains

Katie and Josie are very good at going to the bathroom now. They tell me they have to go, then they pull out their stool, put their seat on if it's missing, and take care of business.

Yesterday, Katie was crying when Josie told me she had to go, so I was a little distracted. I told her to go ahead and she ran off. I heard her pull out the stool and moments later I heard her crying in panic.

Off I went to see what had happened. When I turned the corner, saw Josie standing in the middle of the bathroom and she was screaming "Mommy, I'm soaking wet!"

I spent a moment trying to figure out what she meant. Did she not make it to the potty in time? I looked around the room searching for an answer (The hysterical Josie wasn't being very helpful there). Then I realized that the water in the toilet was sloshing madly. And her rear end and thighs were soaked. And the baby seat was missing from the toilet.

"Oh, baby! Did you fall into the toilet?"

"Uh huh!" she said. Her tears dried up instantly, now that I had voiced the horrible thing that had happened to her.

I washed her off and she happily went potty, remembering to put her seat on, of course.

Just Routine

Weeks ago, a late nap led my babies to have a late bedtime. Which led to sleeping in a little later than usual, which led to another late nap and an even later bedtime. It has been a terrible cycle that we were finally able to get out of yesterday.

I scheduled our day to be light on activities in the morning (just a quick trip to the grocery story) and heavier as the day progressed (cooking, special school work to kick off F week, stories, outside play time in the crazy summer-like weather we're having, more cooking for dinner etc.). This all kept the kids so occupied and distracted that no one noticed they were sleepy at what had become their nap time (3:30 is far too late to start a nap!) We might not have made it through dinner, since they all discovered their fatigue at the same time when they sat for their meal, if we hadn't been saved by an impromptu visit from PopPop and Kissie Grandma! 45 minutes of eating and playing did them in, though. And by 7:30, a far more reasonable bed time that the recent 9:30 or 10:00 times we've managed, all three babies were snoring in their beds.

Ahhh. Routine. I missed it.

Don't Give Up

I was chatting this evening with Katie while I made dinner and somehow or other the conversation turned to our ages.

"Well," I said, "Sarah is one, you are two,"

"And Josie is two, and you are two, and Father is two," Katie interrupted. (Yes, she likes to call him Father . . .)

So I told her how old I really am.

"Mommy!" She said, her voice dripping with disbelief. I reassured her that I wasn't crazy. Then I told her how old her Daddy is.

Her face took on a look of deeply concerned concentration. After a moment or two she looked at me with such compassion.

"Don't give up on Father, yet, Mommy!"