"Daddy, was your vacation fun?"
-Sarah, after we picked up Charlie at the airport from a business trip. He tried to explain to her that he wasn't on vacation, but he was in a hotel away from the kids for a few days. Sounds like a vacation to me.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Time to Make the Donuts
Remember that Dunkin' Donuts commercial they used to show in the late 70s early 80s? The one where the man used to get up at some ungodly hour when it was still really dark day after day after day and each time he would say, "time to make the donuts". The point of the commercial was that that guy got up every morning to make fresh donuts for you so you didn't have to, rain or shine (he was like the mailman of donuts) and they would always be there. Okay so now a days people don't eat that many donuts, you know, because they make you fat (I guess people weren't aware of it then) and sugar is bad (did they really not know or did they just not care?), but that's not really the point.
Sometimes, okay a lot of times, I feel like that donut man. I even get out of bed in my half-asleep state and mumble, "time to make the donuts". Andy has heard me say this and always looks at me confused and says, "What donuts? You're going to make donuts?". I get up at some crazy hour, and do the same thing everyday. It doesn't change. Okay, what we do changes, because sometimes we go to gymnastics instead of yoga, but it's the same routine and crap day in and day out. Wake up with Amanda super early, today I got to sleep in until 6a, but yesterday it was 5a, try with no success to get her to go back to sleep, eventually give up and bring her into the bathroom where I shower or talk to Charlie while he showers (our bathroom is ridiculously large, you would have to see it to believe it). Get Sarah dressed and fed and off to wherever she needs to go, run errands or do laundry or pretend to half-assed pick up the house, stare in amazement that it's already time to go get Sarah, go get Andy, and go to whatever activity we have after school that day. Come home from said activity, bathe the girls, make dinner, wait anxiously for Charlie to get home so we can eat and put the kids to bed, spend a couple hours doing who knows what and then going to bed much later than we should. Six to seven hours later it starts again.
I'm not complaining, or I'm not trying to. I have a pretty great life and am very fortunate to be able to stay home with my kids. It just seems like sometimes it's all going by in a blur. I'd like to stop and enjoy this time with the kids, but we're too busy moving on to the next activity. Granted, I have nobody else to blame but myself. I'm the one who makes our schedule and puts the kids in everything. Charlie puts his two cents in here and there, but generally leaves it up to me. I'm not trying to drive myself crazy, I just want to give the kids opportunities. Give them a chance to figure out their strengths and what they are good at, as well as what they really like to do (for example, Andy loves to play basketball, but that does not mean he's good at it). I'd like to think there's nothing wrong with this approach, it's just tiring.
The hard part is the kid's don't really appreciate it and won't for so long. I didn't really appreciate all that my parents did for me until I had kids of my own and then realized how ungrateful children really are. Parenthood really is a thankless job. You know, just like donut making. Nobody truly appreciates the really good donut makes, they just take them for granted. Seriously, hopefully someday the kids will look back at all they have gotten to do and all the things they have experienced and realize that Mom and Dad weren't so bad after all. Until then, we'll just keep doing our thing and I'll try not to get into too much of a rut. Who knows, in a few years I may get to sleep for hours at night and then I'll actually have the strength and energy to make real donuts (except we won't be able to eat them because donuts are so, so bad for you).
Sometimes, okay a lot of times, I feel like that donut man. I even get out of bed in my half-asleep state and mumble, "time to make the donuts". Andy has heard me say this and always looks at me confused and says, "What donuts? You're going to make donuts?". I get up at some crazy hour, and do the same thing everyday. It doesn't change. Okay, what we do changes, because sometimes we go to gymnastics instead of yoga, but it's the same routine and crap day in and day out. Wake up with Amanda super early, today I got to sleep in until 6a, but yesterday it was 5a, try with no success to get her to go back to sleep, eventually give up and bring her into the bathroom where I shower or talk to Charlie while he showers (our bathroom is ridiculously large, you would have to see it to believe it). Get Sarah dressed and fed and off to wherever she needs to go, run errands or do laundry or pretend to half-assed pick up the house, stare in amazement that it's already time to go get Sarah, go get Andy, and go to whatever activity we have after school that day. Come home from said activity, bathe the girls, make dinner, wait anxiously for Charlie to get home so we can eat and put the kids to bed, spend a couple hours doing who knows what and then going to bed much later than we should. Six to seven hours later it starts again.
I'm not complaining, or I'm not trying to. I have a pretty great life and am very fortunate to be able to stay home with my kids. It just seems like sometimes it's all going by in a blur. I'd like to stop and enjoy this time with the kids, but we're too busy moving on to the next activity. Granted, I have nobody else to blame but myself. I'm the one who makes our schedule and puts the kids in everything. Charlie puts his two cents in here and there, but generally leaves it up to me. I'm not trying to drive myself crazy, I just want to give the kids opportunities. Give them a chance to figure out their strengths and what they are good at, as well as what they really like to do (for example, Andy loves to play basketball, but that does not mean he's good at it). I'd like to think there's nothing wrong with this approach, it's just tiring.
The hard part is the kid's don't really appreciate it and won't for so long. I didn't really appreciate all that my parents did for me until I had kids of my own and then realized how ungrateful children really are. Parenthood really is a thankless job. You know, just like donut making. Nobody truly appreciates the really good donut makes, they just take them for granted. Seriously, hopefully someday the kids will look back at all they have gotten to do and all the things they have experienced and realize that Mom and Dad weren't so bad after all. Until then, we'll just keep doing our thing and I'll try not to get into too much of a rut. Who knows, in a few years I may get to sleep for hours at night and then I'll actually have the strength and energy to make real donuts (except we won't be able to eat them because donuts are so, so bad for you).
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Kid Quote of the Day
"I like both better than the outside of beans."
-Sarah, declaring she likes both chocolate and caramel Jello pudding mousse better than her green beans. Duh.
-Sarah, declaring she likes both chocolate and caramel Jello pudding mousse better than her green beans. Duh.
In the Thick of Things
When Amanda started crawling she decided she wanted to be part of the action. She did not want to be one of those sit back and watch babies, she wanted to be right in the middle of things. That is why her favorite place to hang out is the steps. For a baby, that means danger. It's exciting and different and Mommy and Daddy don't want you on there, therefore it is the place for me. She's like this with everything. She has to sit on the couch and crawl all over it, she can't just stand next to it. She has to climb on top of the picnic table in the living room (long story but Sarah got it for her birthday in MAY and we haven't quite put it in the backyard yet), she can't just sit on the seat. Amanda likes to get into things.
She loves to be around the big kids, and do what they are doing. She and Sarah have a blast climbing up on Sarah's bed and rolling all over with the stuffed animals. Sarah has a gate, if that's what you call it, on her bed, but Amanda still seems to be able to find the holes and get stuck or almost fall off. That does not stop her from climbing up again. They wrestle, they chase, they scream at each other in jubilation, but all the while she is keeping up with what they are doing.
I noticed it today and it really struck me. We went to Sarah's therapy and I had all the kids and one of Andy's friends. Andy had early release today for teacher conferences, so I brought his friend home too because we're always too scheduled for playdates. So we were leaving therapy, the four kids and me, and we were waiting for the elevator to take us down to the parking garage. As soon as the elevator doors opened, all of the kids rushed to get into the elevator. Even Amanda. She saw those doors open and the kids take off and she started running as well. Then I realized. She was not going to let them do something without her. She was not going to be left behind. She is going to do exactly what they do.
It's funny. I see that with Sarah and Andy, but they're older. Sarah has to do everything Andy does. Amanda is so young and still figuring everything out, but there are a few things she's got down. First, if she brings me food from the pantry, I'll give it to her. Second, the older kids are where all the action is. Third, if they can do it, why can't she? So far she's still a mama's girl and sticks close, but I'm going to have to watch out for this one.
She loves to be around the big kids, and do what they are doing. She and Sarah have a blast climbing up on Sarah's bed and rolling all over with the stuffed animals. Sarah has a gate, if that's what you call it, on her bed, but Amanda still seems to be able to find the holes and get stuck or almost fall off. That does not stop her from climbing up again. They wrestle, they chase, they scream at each other in jubilation, but all the while she is keeping up with what they are doing.
I noticed it today and it really struck me. We went to Sarah's therapy and I had all the kids and one of Andy's friends. Andy had early release today for teacher conferences, so I brought his friend home too because we're always too scheduled for playdates. So we were leaving therapy, the four kids and me, and we were waiting for the elevator to take us down to the parking garage. As soon as the elevator doors opened, all of the kids rushed to get into the elevator. Even Amanda. She saw those doors open and the kids take off and she started running as well. Then I realized. She was not going to let them do something without her. She was not going to be left behind. She is going to do exactly what they do.
It's funny. I see that with Sarah and Andy, but they're older. Sarah has to do everything Andy does. Amanda is so young and still figuring everything out, but there are a few things she's got down. First, if she brings me food from the pantry, I'll give it to her. Second, the older kids are where all the action is. Third, if they can do it, why can't she? So far she's still a mama's girl and sticks close, but I'm going to have to watch out for this one.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Kid Quote of the Day
"Amanda, watch this. Watch and learn."
-Sarah, trying to show Amanda how to velcro and unvelcro her shoes while we were driving in the car.
-Sarah, trying to show Amanda how to velcro and unvelcro her shoes while we were driving in the car.
Triple Whammy
I know, it's been a week since I've written. It's not that I don't have anything to write. I have an ongoing list of things I'd like to tell you about. It's just crazy around here. I thought that once school started I'd have all this free time, but I forgot to take one very important thing into consideration. Amanda. I've been trying to get her on a good nap schedule, but it's not working. I've been trying to get something, anything, done while she's awake, but that's not happening either. I don't know where everything went wrong, but the easy going third kid I thought I was going to get was just a dream.
It's allergy season here in Texas. Well, I think all year is allergy season, but I think now it's kind of spiked. Supposedly they are really bad this year. See, the funny thing is, I don't have allergies. Sure, I get one or two allergy-induced sinus infections a year, but otherwise I am not bothered in the least. Almost everybody I know has allergy problems. They say that if you don't have them when you move to Texas, you will soon. I'm not sure how I've avoided them, but I have. The problem is, my kids haven't. Andy doesn't have them too bad. He's like me, a couple of times a year he'll get an itchy throat and a croupy cough, but that's about it. Sarah, on the other hand, started taking allergy medicine at one, as soon as they would let her, and takes it year round. She doesn't often get bothered by allergy symptoms, but she has the medication in her system all the time. Amanda is a different story. She has had allergy symptoms since she was only a couple of months old. I didn't know that was possible, I thought you needed to be exposed for at least a season before systems showed up, but they are starting to believe it is. The doctor finally put her on allergy meds when she turned one, but they haven't really helped. For the first three weeks she was on them her nose ran constantly. I thought for sure they weren't working. Finally her nose cleared up so I assumed her body had finally gotten adjusted to having the medicine. Last week it started again.
I know she's not sick. She doesn't have a fever and she doesn't act like she has an ear infection or anything else. I've taken her to the doctor so many times for them to say, "nope, there's nothing wrong with her". But overall she's just very unhappy. Her eyes are kind of puffy and her nose runs incessantly. She coughs because of the drainage and she's having problems sleeping. As a result, we are having problems sleeping, because we have to get up with her and try to get her back to bed. Then, during the day, she doesn't want to take a nap and just wants to be held. If we're not holding her, she's crying. Overall, it sucks.
On top of that, she's cutting about six teeth and she has a horrible diaper rash. I don't know if the rash is from something she's eating or because of the allergy stuff or some other infection, but it looks awful. Her gums are so swollen she's trying to chew on everything. Luckily not us, but everything else. So basically she's miserable, which means I am miserable. When Charlie comes home and says "what did you do today?", my response is, "nothing". That's right, nothing. I held a crying baby all day while the laundry sat there not done, not being folded, not being put away. I spent an hour trying to put the baby down for a nap, with her sleeping in my arms but every time I moved even a little bit so that I could put her in her crib she would cry. When she cries, it's not a sad little cry. It's a loud, piercing, screaming cry that means business. I'm not sure where she learned it, but it's awful. Then, every time we went to get Sarah or Andy or anywhere in the car, she would sleep. Of course that was only for 15-20 minutes and so she never got a real nap, just a bunch of cat naps all over town. Not when we were at home where I could be doing something, but when we were in the car.
I know, I know, this too will pass. I'm sure I went through this with Andy and Sarah too and can't remember any of it. I guess this time I just feel like I have so many other things I need to be doing, and as I sit there trying to calm my screaming baby they are mocking me. On top of that, it's hard to listen to crying all day long. It's a serious downer. Although everyone tells me to relax and enjoy the time with the baby because it will be gone before you know it, this is not time I want to enjoy. Hurry up, go faster.
I got the name of an allergist from a friend today, I think we'll start there. If nothing else I'd at least like someone to get a baseline of what's going on so we can follow it in the future. That way if they get worse we'll know where we started. Hopefully she can shed some light on what's going on. I'll talk to the pediatrician tomorrow about the diaper rash. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, but if so we'll take care of it. The teeth, well there's not much I can do about that, but that will be over soon enough. I'll make sure to stock lots of ibuprofen.
See, it will be okay, but if you don't hear from me for a few days, now you know why.
It's allergy season here in Texas. Well, I think all year is allergy season, but I think now it's kind of spiked. Supposedly they are really bad this year. See, the funny thing is, I don't have allergies. Sure, I get one or two allergy-induced sinus infections a year, but otherwise I am not bothered in the least. Almost everybody I know has allergy problems. They say that if you don't have them when you move to Texas, you will soon. I'm not sure how I've avoided them, but I have. The problem is, my kids haven't. Andy doesn't have them too bad. He's like me, a couple of times a year he'll get an itchy throat and a croupy cough, but that's about it. Sarah, on the other hand, started taking allergy medicine at one, as soon as they would let her, and takes it year round. She doesn't often get bothered by allergy symptoms, but she has the medication in her system all the time. Amanda is a different story. She has had allergy symptoms since she was only a couple of months old. I didn't know that was possible, I thought you needed to be exposed for at least a season before systems showed up, but they are starting to believe it is. The doctor finally put her on allergy meds when she turned one, but they haven't really helped. For the first three weeks she was on them her nose ran constantly. I thought for sure they weren't working. Finally her nose cleared up so I assumed her body had finally gotten adjusted to having the medicine. Last week it started again.
I know she's not sick. She doesn't have a fever and she doesn't act like she has an ear infection or anything else. I've taken her to the doctor so many times for them to say, "nope, there's nothing wrong with her". But overall she's just very unhappy. Her eyes are kind of puffy and her nose runs incessantly. She coughs because of the drainage and she's having problems sleeping. As a result, we are having problems sleeping, because we have to get up with her and try to get her back to bed. Then, during the day, she doesn't want to take a nap and just wants to be held. If we're not holding her, she's crying. Overall, it sucks.
On top of that, she's cutting about six teeth and she has a horrible diaper rash. I don't know if the rash is from something she's eating or because of the allergy stuff or some other infection, but it looks awful. Her gums are so swollen she's trying to chew on everything. Luckily not us, but everything else. So basically she's miserable, which means I am miserable. When Charlie comes home and says "what did you do today?", my response is, "nothing". That's right, nothing. I held a crying baby all day while the laundry sat there not done, not being folded, not being put away. I spent an hour trying to put the baby down for a nap, with her sleeping in my arms but every time I moved even a little bit so that I could put her in her crib she would cry. When she cries, it's not a sad little cry. It's a loud, piercing, screaming cry that means business. I'm not sure where she learned it, but it's awful. Then, every time we went to get Sarah or Andy or anywhere in the car, she would sleep. Of course that was only for 15-20 minutes and so she never got a real nap, just a bunch of cat naps all over town. Not when we were at home where I could be doing something, but when we were in the car.
I know, I know, this too will pass. I'm sure I went through this with Andy and Sarah too and can't remember any of it. I guess this time I just feel like I have so many other things I need to be doing, and as I sit there trying to calm my screaming baby they are mocking me. On top of that, it's hard to listen to crying all day long. It's a serious downer. Although everyone tells me to relax and enjoy the time with the baby because it will be gone before you know it, this is not time I want to enjoy. Hurry up, go faster.
I got the name of an allergist from a friend today, I think we'll start there. If nothing else I'd at least like someone to get a baseline of what's going on so we can follow it in the future. That way if they get worse we'll know where we started. Hopefully she can shed some light on what's going on. I'll talk to the pediatrician tomorrow about the diaper rash. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, but if so we'll take care of it. The teeth, well there's not much I can do about that, but that will be over soon enough. I'll make sure to stock lots of ibuprofen.
See, it will be okay, but if you don't hear from me for a few days, now you know why.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Jonas, Part II
I forgot to mention in my previous post that Nick is my favorite of the Jonas Brothers. He is by far the most talented. He plays multiple instruments, does at least half of the singing, and writes most of the songs. He's also pretty cute and very mature for his 17 years. An old soul. If I were 25 years younger (ouch, am I that old?), I would have a poster of him on my wall. Or, maybe not. When I was in junior high and everybody else was obsessed with Duran Duran and wanted to marry Simon and have his babies I couldn't care less. I was lucky if I even knew a Duran Duran song when it played on the radio. I blame this on my parents, and their unwillingness to subscribe to cable, and therefore MTV, as I was growing up. Still to this day I am horrible at music and Charlie and I are always playing the who sings this game and neither do very well. If it weren't for the fact that the radio actually displays the name of the song and the artist I would be totally lost.
So, to answer your question, Nick is my favorite.
So, to answer your question, Nick is my favorite.
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