NaBloPoMo

When I heard about the challenge to blog every day in November, I thought it was a great idea. I do love to write here and there are even some people that find me amusing.

There are also people that like blood sausage, but there you go.

I sat at my computer last night and linked my blog to the Blogher site and began to compose something introductory and witty.

Then my kids became convinced that sleep would cause their flesh to fall from their bones.

So, after a rousing night of moving kids from bed to bed to bed and soothing and rocking and groaning and begging and waking every 45 minutes to blow my nose and go to the bathroom - thank you NEW KID for following peer pressure before you even have all of your internal organs - here I am.

More to come.

Hot Diggety Dog

Sophie: "You wanna hot dog?"

Me: "You want a hot dog for dinner?"

Sophie: "A hog dog!"

Me: "OK, we'll get you a hot dog."

*beat*

Sophie: "Hot dog?!"

Me: "Yes, Sophie. We're getting you a hot dog."

*beat*

Sophie: "Hot dog?!"

Me: "Yes, Sophie. I just ordered your hot dog."

*beat*

Sophie: "But...hot dog?"

Me: "Sophie, the hot dog is in the front seat. We're going home and you can eat your hot dog."

*beat*

Sophie: "Hot dog?!?"

Me: "SOPHIE. Walk into the house and I will put the hot dog down in front of you and YOU CAN EAT THE HOT DOG."

*go inside. put hot dog on the table in front of child.*

Sophie: "...NOPE."

Not one bite was eaten by the girl.

If you will excuse me, I'm going to go replace my brain with a toothpick model of Mount Rushmore.

Lord, give me peace...

...but hold off on giving me strength or I'll fling my kids off of a mountain.

Gideon has a bad case of the Whiny Butt. He's in my lap now, lamenting that which is life. There is nothing worse than an existential three year old.

Sophie keeps asking every 30 seconds about her burrito. IT'S IN THE OVEN. Nothing I say can convince her that I am making dinner right this very second. She thinks that I'm telling her that she can't have them so she keeps giving other suggestions. "Hot dog? Chicken? FRIES?!? FOOOOOOD!!" OH MY COW, INNAMINIT!

Milly has been in a pick-me-up-put-me-down mood all day. She wants in my lap and then squirms until I put her down. Then she collapses into a heap of tears to let me know how horrible I am for putting her dooooooown!!! However, she also keeps balancing her sister's shoe on her head and it's really funny.

The newest little monster has decided that I'm going to be sick whenever I eat carbs. But! That's all I'm craving. Apples and creamy pasta are the biggest wants right now. After nearly fainting from a migraine earlier, the doctor told me to quit eating so many carbs and protein load instead. So I'll be trading my beloved chicken sorrentino for cheese and beans or steak. No tortillas! No chips! NO CANDY RIGHT WHEN CANDY IS ON SALE FOR HALLOWEEN.

I'm feeling better after some protein bars and water. I have medicine for the headaches. I'll eat bean and cheese burritos tonight and then make an inventory of the kitchen. There's only an hour and a half until bedtime. Friday is Date Night with the kids in Parent's Night Out. There is hope. There is a silver lining.

There is a carb-free cheesecake recipe.

Wowsers

Pregnancy dreams have been psycho lately. I dream vividly about the weirdest things. It's exhausting. I wake up feeling like I just filmed an action movie.

Sophie has been getting out of bed and terrorizing the living room. She gets up quietly so I can't hear her. I'm too busy waltzing with Harrison Ford in my dreams to notice that my little girl has gone into the living room and emptied the tissue box. I just wake up to a path of destruction and an "innocent" monkey on the couch.

Gideon just got moved from the AM class to the PM class with his sister. Yesterday was a little rough as he almost fell asleep in class. His schedule will get adjusted and he'll be fine. Big Sister is a Little Mama, however. She answered for him every time in class and tried to help him do everything. Their teacher has already said that they'll have to separate them but that it's perfectly normal. She loves our two little mooks.

Ben will be in Austin for a week again during the last week of September. This leaves me alone with three monsters thirsty for blood and crayons. The first two days he'll be gone are Fair days so I can't even get rid of them for a few hours. PLEASE PRAY.

While cleaning this morning, I nearly filled the dishwasher with oatmeal instead of detergent. I have a serious case of The Dumb.

The youngest is at MDO, the oldest are dressed and watching Movers, the dishes are cleaning, the crockpot is full of pot roast and the clothes are washing. Praise God for modern appliances.

Roundup

Oh my gracious, I have a blog. I'll get back on track with a never-done-before bullet point post!

• Sophie and Gideon have been going to the sensory gym for the last month. They are settling in and learning to follow directions. Sophie has learned how to flip backwards! Gideon jumps on the trampoline with no help! This is going so well and I'm excited to see what else they learn.
• Sophie and Gideon have also been accepted into the PPCD classes at our local elementary school. Gideon will go to the morning half-class and Sophie will go in the afternoon. Both will ride the bus back and forth to the school. They start on Monday. We'll go to Open House on Wednesday night so they can meet the teacher and see their classroom. I get to buy school supplies on Thursday! I'm way too excited about school supplies, first day outfits and bus routines. OK...I'm half excited and half sobbing every 30 minutes. MY BABIES!!!
• I've called an ABA therapist to see if our insurance will pay for behavioral therapy. She says that the kids would go for 2-4 hours a week at the least. WOW. Let's schedule that around school, Milly's MDO and the kids' new gym times on Wednesday. She's also looking into getting speech therapy approved, too. That's another 45 minutes a week. My weeks are starting to fill up.
• Milly will go back to South Garland Baptist's MDO in September. She'll go on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9-2. I had originally looked for a 4-5 day program for her but I changed my mind. There's not much time before Milly is no longer the baby of the family. I want some time with just her before that change.
• Milly will also start ECI on Wednesday. The ENT said that she's not hearing well and will need ear tubes. The ECI therapist will do speech therapy. Maybe she'll learn to say Mama again!
• Ear tubes. Milly needs them. Gideon will go to the ENT after this last round of antibiotics for another ear infection. Sophie had her first ear infection after her tubes. There's a good possibility that 2 or all of the kids will need tubes. OY.

Then there's the new baby!

HOW FAR ALONG ARE YOU?
6 weeks, give or take. According to Baby Center this means that his/her heart is beating. That makes me all fuzzy.

HOW ARE YOU FEELING?
Grumpy, weepy, happy, sleepy...your basic dwarf moodiness. Add in the migraines, caffeine withdrawal and "morning" sickness and I'm a treat to be around.

ANYTHING DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER TIMES?
I'm experiencing dizziness and vertigo for the first time. It's bizarre! I'll be going about my normal business when spots will suddenly blur my vision and I'll sit down hard. The doctor has said that it's normal and to eat more protein rich foods. It also helps if I move slowly and take a few minutes to move around and get my blood flowing.

NEXT DOCTOR APPOINTMENT?
September 6th. I'll have my first ultrasound and she'll probably take some blood. My doctor does an ultrasound at every appointment. It's nice to see that little peanut every time I go in.

Go about your business. I'm sure I'll be back eventually to post pictures of Sophie and Gideon's first day at school.

Stuff I Like

Here's some stuff that's totally digging my chili right now.

• Paul Mitchell's Tea Tree Hair and Scalp Treatment.

Does it make me feel like I've set my head on fire? YES. Is my scalp finally not flaking from eczema/psoriasis/whatever's been on there for decades? EVEN YESSER.

• Warehouse 13 

Season 4 just began. Kate Mulgrew, AKA Captain Janeway, is my favorite character on the show. Brent Spiner, AKA Data, is guest starring. It's a glorious geeky delight.

• Lady of America in Sachse

This is the gym I joined. I love going because it's all women. Men, you're cool and all that but I like a gym where Ricky Martin and Backstreet Boys blare while I watch The View on my stationary bike. Also? YOGA ROCKS.

• Raising Cane's Chicken

Crispy chicken fingers, crinkle fries, sweet tea and a sauce that I could bathe in. DUDE. I have got to learn how to make this sauce at home and possibly cut the calories down.

• Spelling Apps from Learning Touch

Sophie has been playing the original animal app for months. In the last month, she's started spelling words and asking for us to spell everything on Earth. We bought the deluxe version and she began playing today. (After a little agitation at the thought of trading her tried-and-true app for something new.) These work. Plain and simple. 

Really.

Two Months Ago

Me and the Hubby: "I think we're just going to have 3 children."

1 Month Ago

Go through clothes, toys and everything baby-related. Purge all things under 18-months. Give clothes to Goodwill, second hand stores and the new Cobb baby. Cry over tiny onesies dripping with memories and old spit-up stains. Take a deep breath and shut the boxes.

2 Weeks Ago

Start enrolling the kids in school for the fall. Look into preschools for the baby. Begin to enjoy this next stage of life with school age kids. There is a light at the end of the tunnel with everyone wiping their own butts. It's getting closer.

Friday August 3rd, 12:30 AM

Violently wake husband.

Same Day, 12:00 PM

Doctor: "Congrats! You're due in early April!"

NOTE: ANY COMMENTS WITH THE WORDS "DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT CAUSES THAT?" AND "I TOLD YOU SO!" WILL BE REQUIRED TO COME WITH A $25 DONATION TO THE 'WE GAVE AWAY ALL OF THE BABY STUFF' FUND.

Deep Breath

I took Milly to her 18-month checkup last week. She's growing like a weed and is getting more adorable every day. We've had a rash of ear infections over the last few months and it's left a good bit of fluid in her ears. We've been seeing an ENT to see if she needs tubes and it's been established that she can't hear us very well. While speaking with the pediatrician and trying to wrestle Milly into giving up the tongue depressor she kept using to gag herself, we turned to her vocabulary.

I realized that Milly doesn't speak. She says "Dadadada" and she smiles. That's it.

The pediatrician asked me to call ECI. We need to get on this as soon as possible to find out the cause.

• Is she imitating her siblings?
• Is it because she can't hear us?
• Do we have another spectrum kid?

So I took a deep breath. I prayed. I cried. Then I picked up the phone and called ECI and her ENT. We will get to the bottom of this.

The Princess and the Pothole

Sophie likes to look around and comment on everything in the world while she rides in the car. We hear commentary like "Red light! Red light means stop!" and "Issa red octomagononon!"

I love it when she adds 19 extra syllables to her words. Cutest thing ever.

Whenever we go over a bump, no matter how small, Sophie asks the riders of the car "You OK? I'm OK!" Every single bump. Every single time. Sometimes we answer her and sometimes we just let her talk to herself.

Last week we got to go and visit my new niece and my beautiful sister-in-law. (Fine. And my brother.) It took about 45 minutes to get to the hospital. During about 15 minutes of that commute we went over some grooved pavement. This turned Sophie into the Micro Machines Man on crack.

"ARE YOU OK?! I'M OK!"
"ARE YOU OK?! I'M OK!"
"ARE YOU OK?! I'M OK!"
"ARE YOU OK?! I'M OK!"
"ARE YOU OK?! I'M OK!"
"ARE YOU OK?! I'M OK!"
"ARE YOU OK?! I'M OK!"
"ARE YOU OK?! I'M OK!"
"ARE YOU OK?! I'M OK!"
"ARE YOU OK?! I'M OK!"

There was no breath in between shrieks and answering her didn't stop the script. I turned on the Imagination Movers soundtrack but she just got louder.

"ARE YOU OK?! I'M OK!"
"ARE YOU OK?! I'M OK!"
"ARE YOU OK?! I'M OK!"
"ARE YOU OK?! I'M OK!"
"ARE YOU OK?! I'M OK!"
"ARE YOU OK?! I'M OK!"
"ARE YOU OK?! I'M OK!"
"ARE YOU OK?! I'M OK!"
"ARE YOU OK?! I'M OK!"
"ARE YOU OK?! I'M OK!"

When the ground finally smoothed into regular pavement again and we were able to turn down the Movers, I glanced back at Sophie. She had been sitting rigidly upright in her seat and was frantically looking around to make sure that WE WERE ALL OK, DEAR LORD WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY WORLD IT'S GONE ALL SHAKY. After it was all over, she just calmly sat back and began pointing out yellow trimangangles.

The twitch in my eye is almost gone.

"TOP Men"

Yesterday was my vague and grownup post about parents of special needs kids. Today is my vent.

Sophie and Gideon have never been to Vacation Bible School because most start at 5 years old. When the church where they are going to MDO put out their VBS info and it said that they start at three, I began to do my usual scouring the info to see if this would work. It was from Sunday to Thursday at nights for 2 1/2 hours. Not too long but long enough to let them have fun but not get overtired. It was at a familiar place but they would go to different rooms letting them know that change is still OK. Gideon would go into the three year old room and not really participate with the Big Kids until the last night when they have a big closing doodah in the sanctuary. He would still do the crafts, get a shirt and learn the lessons. The children's director knows my kids and knows their limits. I felt comfortable.

Sign them up!

Everything went well until last night when Ben dropped them off. When he got to Gideon's room he was informed that Gideon was being moved down to the room with the volunteers babies. According to this woman, Gideon's room was not equipped to handle a child in diapers. Ben came back upset that Gideon was being held back. I got in the car and drove up to the church to find out more about what was going on.

Side note: Did you know that the Mazda 5 can reach 95 MPH?

I prayed that God would keep my temper in check and stormed into the church to see what had happened. The children's director was found and I explained that Gideon had been moved. She was confused at my explanation and had no idea that he had been moved. She said it didn't make sense. Another woman was walking by and heard us talking. It turns out that she was the one who had made the change. She was the associate pastor in charge of the children's ministries. She said that Gideon had been "messing in his pants" and had been moved to a room where there were people who were "trained to handle that kind of thing".

As if you need an advanced degree to clean poop off of my kid's marblesack.

After I was able to put a stop to the condescension and get a word in edgewise, I explained that if I had been told earlier that kids must be potty trained before attending VBS, I would not have brought my kids. Even my 4 year old has accidents. I told them that I had no intention of making more work for their volunteers and said that I would take my son home and he would not come for the last night since he was not a part of VBS.

I was reassured by the children's director that Gideon was still doing the same thing as the three year old group but was just in a room where more diapers were changed. (If that woman said "people TRAINED to handle that" one more time, there was going to be a situation.) That class would also be involved in the big closing doodah tonight and he was still learning the lessons. She took my point seriously and said that future VBS info would make it clear that three years olds attending would need to be potty trained.

I left with an apology and reassurance that Gideon was having fun and they loved having him there. I'm still going to leave the kids in the MDO program because I know that Gideon's teachers ADORE him. I felt like I was heard and was able to get them to see that the situation could have been handled better.

Now to go see how much one of those trained professionals go for so I can see how much I'm worth.

Just Say No

When you are the parent of a special needs child, no matter what the diagnosis or level of adaptation, you look at mainstream activities differently. You carefully check the rules for every Mother's Day Out and VBS to see if your child doesn't meet any of the criteria. You make a point to speak to the head of whatever program you like and let them know details about your child to see if they are able to handle what comes with your little darling. The best thing that you can hear is "Of course they can come!" What people don't realize is the second best phrase we can hear.

"I'm sorry. We can't accommodate your child's needs."

It sounds counter intuitive, but this is actually a good thing...as long as you tell us BEFORE we put down deposits, get our routine-loving children into going somewhere new and make time in our already packed schedules for another possible socialization-skills-building activity.

If you work with kids at a church or other location, please understand how important it is to us as parents to hear that you understand our childrens' extra needs. Just because a child is three does not mean that he talks or is potty trained. A four year old might become agitated if Mama does not leave quickly enough because school is for teachers and home is for Mamas in her mind. If we give you a label for our children and you don't fully understand what they need then ASK QUESTIONS. Tell us no. We've heard "no" before and we're OK with hearing it again.

Half Time!

Sophie is starting to take an interest in how she looks. Whenever I fix her hair, she runs for the bathroom mirror to preen and look at how beautiful she is. I found a pair of knock-off Crocs in purple and she wears them at every possible moment. (Including trying to get them into the bathtub. ) She also has a pair of neon green Converse that make her little heart go pitter pat. Her latest fashion statement are her tutus. She has a yellow one and a purple one. (Purple is her favorite color.)

Today was Royalty Day at Mother's Day Out. I sat down last night and tried desperately to make Sophie a shiny crown to wear. She actually showed a lot of enthusiasm at my ham-handed attempt at craftiness and wore it to school today.

Pink shirt, purple tutu, yellow glitter socks, neon green shoes, tinfoil crown.

She's beautiful, my precious Firstborn. However...as I gaze at this picture...I can only think of one thing...

Yep. That's my girl.

Slippery Slope

While the kids napped yesterday, NAPPED!, I quickly cleaned up around the house. I scrubbed out the back fridge and swapped out some laundry. Then I decided to give the kids some kiddie pool time when they got up. We've had some storms lately so I honestly had no idea where the kiddie pool had ended up in the backyard. I went outside with visions of the pool draped across the roof like a Dali painting. I found it half-full of water behind the shed/wasp house. Braving the flying devils, I emptied and cleaned the pool. I set it closer to the house and left it to fill up while I collected toys, swim diapers, towels, sunscreen and suits.

By this time, the kids were up and hollering so I got everyone up. Sophie jumped out of bed in just a pull-up and immediately put on her purple croc knock-off sandals. I finally convinced the little nudist to let me put her swimsuit on. Her eyes lit up as she realized that watery goodness was nigh. Gideon just walked around in circles and babbled, as is his way. I put Milly on my hip and led everyone outside.

Look! Pool! Yay, fun!

...

Seriously, get in the pool.

So, I got in first while precariously holding a now very slippery Milly. Sophie delicately climbed in and began pouring water from cup to cup to cup to cup. Gideon came over and just looked at the water. I nabbed him when he got close enough and stood him in the water. I still couldn't get him to sit down. So he just wandered around and babbled while throwing toys like grenades.

Any time one of them got too splashy, I grabbed a bucket and doused them. They both thought this was great fun and were doused many times. That got me thinking...Sophie throws foundation-shattering fits when we pour a cup of water over her head in the bathtub. Out in the pool? Bring on the water! Maybe I could bathe her in the backyard! It's summer in Texas so it's warm enough. Then I started to take stock;

• non-running car in the front. not on blocks but...
• foil in the kids' windows. they need complete darkness to sleep.

I think bathing my kid in the backyard would complete the trashy trifecta. Next I'll find myself wearing American flag tank tops and standing barefoot on the stoop yelling at my kids to get out of the yard while holding Milly on my hip.

Of course, I already do that...

Maybe I can buy some blackout curtains and buy myself a little time.

Domesticating the Kids

Since Sophie was diagnosed with PDD-NOS, I've been reading and researching every day. I'm always on the lookout for ways to teach her and communicate. What can I do to improve her vocabulary? What games will be the best way to keep her entertained? Let's find more ways to socialize her so that she's surrounded by emotions and facial expressions.

She and her siblings are already attending Sunday School as often as we can. The Month of Sickness kept us from church for a while but we're back and the kids really enjoy their classes. We also send them to a local church for Mother's Day Out on Wednesdays and Fridays. It's there that Sophie made her first real friend. She remembers his name and tells me about their day. The teacher says that she and this little boy chase each other all day, every day. Her Daddy isn't wild about the fact that Sophie is already chasing boys but I just assume she's like her Mama. It was way more fun to play with the boys on the playground. And in the lunch room. And after school. Fine, I was somewhat boy-crazy but not in the romantic sense! (Although, I did fine in that area.)

We've also found another church running a summer camp/MDO program. This one is on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sophie's class will be taught by a PPCD teacher. I'm eager to see what she thinks Sophie's next step should be. I would really like some direction for what to do next. Should Sophie start public school? Would a Montessori school be more engaging? Would a private school have the resources she needs? Do we need to do more therapy before enrolling Sophie into school?

Another way to structure Sophie's day is to introduce her to domestic tasks. She's now learned the whole laundry process. She can sort clothes, load the laundry baskets, load clothes into the washer, unload the dryer and hang up her shirts. I talk to her every time about what we're doing, showing her how our clothes get dirty when we wear them and how they get clean and back into our drawers and closets. I'm going to make a social story so that she can see the process.

What is a social story? The way I see it, it's a piece of paper or set of cards with pictures and a simple story telling what happens in a situation from real life. You take the kiddos through the whole process of something, like doing the laundry, to help them understand how to do the individual steps and why they should be done. Routine is a HUGE deal for Sophie. These social stories will help her patiently go though new situations so that she won't get anxious about something she's never encountered.

Today, Sophie is helping with the laundry. She's broken chocolate chip cookies apart and put them on the baking sheet. She's carried dishes to the sink. Domestic chores are good for spectrum kids because it's the same routine every time. It puts order into their lives which is soothing to Sophie's little mind.

It also gets Mama moving to keep up with the laundry.

My Babies

We're all still in our pajamas at 12:30 in the afternoon.

There has been so much snuggling, kisses, zerbets and tickling. Or, as Sophie calls it, "chickles".

Milly's curls look like they're made out of cotton candy and they still smell like her lavender baby wash. She smiles around her little thumb in her mouth while she tucks her head under my chin and her body under my arm. She coughs and wails in a scratchy voice because she has her first case of strep throat. Then she burrows onto my shoulder because it's the only place where she feels comforted.

Gideon's giant brown eyes twinkle as he imitates the genie's magic-wish-granting dance on Imagination Movers. He's talking so much more. Yesterday he drank an apple juice box with my help. He knew he that if he squeezed the box then it would go everywhere so I held it. His big eyes crossed as he concentrated on the straw and his grubby little fingers clutched my hand.

Sophie is so used to the potty that she doesn't make a fuss at all. She turns on the overhead fan and takes toys to her siblings. She wants to help with everything so badly and she's very capable. She loves having a task to do. Her favorite is the laundry. She loves filling the washer all by herself.

We're all a little weak from the sickness that has plagued us for weeks. Milly is still the worst. We still take antibiotics every morning and night and there is still coughing. Milly gets a little pain medicine before she lays down to take a nap with her Reveille Pillow Pet. I watch Gideon warily to make sure that the coughing doesn't turn into wheezing. Sophie's eyebrow is almost totally healed and I don't think she'll scar.

Being a mother is so much work. It's a job that lasts 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. There is no sick time or vacation time. There are nights that I fall into bed exhausted at the thought of 3 very energetic kids starting early the next morning. There are times where I long for a day with no one touching me.

I really cannot wait for the day where I never change another poopy diaper.

Today, I feel blessed. I have three incredible children that fill my heart to bursting. I want to remember these moments when they are taller than me, far away from me and I'm not in charge of kissing their hurts.

Today, I will zerbet because I can. I will delight in baby girl curls, little boy gibberish and little girl help. I will let kiddo laughter fill my heart.

Blessings in Trials

Last Friday, the two oldest kids were diagnosed with strep.

On Monday, the baby started running a fever.

On Tuesday, Sophie fell while climbing the chair and hit her head on the doorknob. After 3 hours in the ER, she came home with her eyebrow glued back together.

On Wednesday, Gideon started coughing so hard he was choking. We went to the pediatrician who said that seasonal allergies were making his asthma worse. He's now taking a low dose of steroids and 2 inhalers 4 times a day.

The house is a wreck. I have a deep chest cough that's connected to seasonal allergies and my sinus infection leaving my body. I was up with Gideon at 4 AM last night while he and I coughed.

We're still blessed.

Right now, my children are in bed. They are all napping soundly. Modern appliances are cleaning my clothes and my dishes. I have bags of chicken marinating in the fridge and freezer ready to be turned into easy meals over the next few weeks. I have the Internet to connect me to friends I rarely get to see and some that I have never met. I have a bazillion TV channels, a DVR, Netflix, library books and my Kindle to entertain me.

Thank you, Lord, for blessing me beyond measure. Thank you for reminding me of these blessings even when things look dark.

In Sickness and in Health...

On Thursday, Sophie and Gideon both started running fevers. Sophie ran faster and got up to 103. Gideon sounded like he was going to cough up a lung. We drugged them and got them to sleep. My beloved mother came over on Friday when I woke up with a fever and sore throat, too. After two doctor appointments, the verdicts were in:

Sophie - Strep throat

Gideon - Strep throat, double ear infection

Mama - Sinus infection, seasonal allergies

Since Milly was not showing any signs of being sick, my mother whisked her away to Camp Grandparents where she would be plied with toys, food, individual cuddles and anything else her little heart desired. My parents are pretty much softies when it comes to their grandchildren. That child is going to come back as rotten as a black banana. BUT! She probably won't get sick.

Ben came home with all of our medicines and we started the rounds of sitting on chests and prying their mouths open to pour strawberry flavored caulk down their throats. I really should put sympathy cards in our neighbors' mailboxes after Gideon's fit that caused half of the shingles to come loose and fly through the windows.

I'm assuming that this strep came from them going back to Mother's Day Out. Anytime kids get social they always share something more than their toys.

It also made me giggle because I remembered my funniest strep story. I had strep all of the time when I was younger until my tonsils were voted out of the tribe when I was 19. When I was a senior in high school, I got strep at the beginning of the year. I started feeling sick at a school kick-off thing held in the cafeteria one evening. I was with the band sitting on the floor when I started feeling hot and dizzy. I suddenly didn't care what was on that disgusting floor and only cared that the tile was cool against my cheek. Things weren't getting better when it was time to go home. I drove my boyfriend, who said he was also feeling funny, in my mom's Chevy Lumina minivan. (I was just that cool.) I got home and mom took me to urgent care. They told us that my wimpy tonsils had once again given up against the strep bug. When I got home, I remembered that my boyfriend had been feeling gross too.

Yeah.

First I had to tell my mother that my boyfriend was sick with probably the same thing which meant basically telling her that I had been swapping spit with a boy. Then I had to call and tell him that I had strep and that's probably why his throat was closing up. Of course, his throat hurt so I talked to his mother instead. How do you call your boyfriend's mother and tell her that you know why her son is feeling sick because you're the diseased harlot that infected him? I tried to soften the blow by offering to bring ice cream. We were teased for WEEKS because we were both out sick at the same time with a disease that you can get from KISSING, OMG THEY WERE KISSING! Even the band directors gave us a hard time.

So now I look at my strep-diseased Sophie and wonder...just how close is that boy in her MDO class?

Assemble!

Ben and I have been trying to be more deliberate about Date Nights. It's important to us to have time for each other. Since we don't have a regular babysitter and I don't want to kill my mother, we've found a few places that host a Parents Night Out.

Wylie UMC has one from 6-10 every second Friday night. FBC Richardson also has a once-a-month night. They are both reasonably priced and the people who work at both churches are wonderful. The kids have been having a good time playing with new people and other kids. We're hoping that it also starts peeling that separation anxiety away from Milly. (One can dream.)

So that usually gives us 4 hours for a date. We've picked Studio Movie Grill the last few times because we can have dinner and a movie all in one. No time wasted! It was even easier with the Richardson church because it's right down the highway.

On Friday, we dropped the monkeys off at FBC Richardson and went to see The Avengers.

HOT BUTTERED MOSES ON TOAST, THAT MOVIE IS AMAZING.

I'm going to do my best not to give anything away. Joss Whedon and Zak Penn bring together Earth's mightiest heroes in a clever and exciting way. It's not just about the eye candy, either. (Although I did want to slingshot my panties at the screen every time they showed Hawkeye.) Each actor is perfect in their role. Mark Ruffalo plays Bruce Banner as the quiet and somewhat jittery scientist who is trying so hard to be calm and focused on not letting "The Other Guy" take over. Robert Downey Jr. is the penultimate Tony Stark. He's great at showing the assured and wise-cracking front but can also show Tony's vulnerability when needed. Chris Hemsworth is godlike as Thor and I'm not just talking about his pecs. He's truly trying to do the right thing for his people and the Earth that he has taken to heart. Chris Evans is the out-of-his-time Captain America. He's polite but firm in his beliefs and is a leader who quietly takes his place. Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner play the Black Widow and Hawkeye. Both hint at their pasts and I'm ready to know more. They are both fiercely loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D. and Director Nick Fury, played perfectly by Samuel L. Jackson.

The writing has Whedon's mark all over it. It's clever and engaging. There were parts that had us doubled over in laughter and others that had the whole theater literally cheering. The action is all Penn. It's exciting without going too long and making you look at your watch saying "GET ON WITH IT!"

Wylie UMC is having their Parents Night Out this Friday. I don't think it will take too much convincing to get Ben to agree to another round with The Avengers.

Dear Children...

Dear Eldest,

Yes. That's Grover. IT'S ALWAYS GROVER. Please stop telling Mommy. Mommy's ears are tired.
In other news, poop goes in the potty. Not your panties. QUIT IT.

Love,
Earless Mommy

Dear Boy Child,

Stop stuffing HANDFULS of Goldfish in your mouth. That is why you choke. Also, naptime is from 1-3. Plan accordingly. I don't care if you fall asleep at 2:50; I'm getting you up at 3:00.

Love,
Nap Nazi Mommy

Dear Sunshine Littles,

If you are done with your food, please simply wave your hands in the air. (Whether you care or not.) Do not attempt to decorate the floor within a 2 foot radius with your leftovers. It makes spaghetti night even more annoying.

Love,
Grateful-You're-Cute Mommy

p.s. Butt cream helps your butt. Please stop eating it.

Seasons of Change

This post hit me hard this morning. The mother is talking about how all of her life it seems as though she's always waiting for the next stage.

When will I get married?
When will I have a baby?
When will the baby sleep through the night?
When will that kiddo get potty trained?

I read through the post and then stopped and looked at my babies. They're watching Sesame Street. Sophie is playing with her blocks. Milly is toddling around the room and screeching at Cookie Monster. Gideon is busily lining up his figures.

I'm impatient. I want Sophie potty trained. Like yesterday. FULLY. I want Gideon to start talking. I want Milly to stop freaking out when I leave her sight.

What am I missing?

They will never be this little again. Right now I can hold all of them. They want me to hold them. Gideon cuddles against my shoulder and wants me to sing his lullabye. Sophie curls up in my arms each night so I can rock her and sing her lullabye. Milly lurches over to me, climbs up me like I'm Everest, flings herself down on my shoulder and jams her thumb in her mouth. (No singing, please. Just rock.)

They say the cutest things. Gideon just learned how to say "rocket". He has rockets on his pajamas. Sophie can say anything you tell her to. It's really funny to make her say "Oy vey!" and then we both collapse into giggles. She calls pizza "peetzee".

Please don't ask Gideon to say "fork".

Their lives are so simple. A kiddie pool, some cups and a sunny day is the BEST DAY EVER. I'm the BEST MOM EVER for setting it up.

Lord, let me rest in this phase of life. Let me enjoy my children just as they are. They are amazing.