Non-swimming summer activities

Here are a few things, other than swimming, we've done this summer:

We went to a minor league baseball game:




We have been watching lots of shows, many of them heavily influenced by Lucy's recent preoccupation with "The Karate Kid 2" :



And today we had a girls afternoon out at a Victorian tea house! The girls brought their "lady manners" and absolutely dominated in their fancy hats. It was a ton of fun, super girlie, and really highlights (for me) the advantages of having daughters!

Every Minute, Every Second... (by Katie)

I can't stop thinking about it... the beach! On August 7 we leave for North Carolina. I don't think I can wait any longer. I've taken taken my old 4th grade journal and devoted the empty pages to my "documents". I've made a sketch of the floor plans, explained them, labeled them, wrote lists of what I need to bring, games to play, what to do for 8 hours in the car, interviewed the girls, and now I am keeping a diary untill we go and leave. Oh...I have also wrote letters to relatives ( I hope you appreciate them, It took me hours!). On the floor plans I move a pencil across it, pretending it's me and I'm there : It's actually very entertaining :-). So now I have made a grocery store, park, etc. I hope that they will keep me entertained long enough in the car. The girls have made me make them floor plans. I seriously can't stop thinking about it! I think it's the only thing I live for right now. We come back August 14. The only problem is (besides the car ride) that my BFF leaves for a two week vacation today and comes back when we leave! We'll be seperated for 3 weeks! That's torture to me and her! But when I go for my vacation it should hopefully keep my mind off it. I love knowing something where just the thought of it lights a warm fire in my heart. Today I'll enjoy myself swimming then going to a baseball game ( some Volt guy is going to be there). Life right now is sweet . :P

Impressive beginning, strange conclusion

Here is a literal transcript from an actual conversation. I have no comment on it because....there's just no way to comment on it.

Chris: What are you looking at Lucy?
Lucy: Map.
Chris: Oh, nice.
Lucy: Look - here's California!
Chris: How in the world do you know where California is?
Lucy: It's California!
Chris: Well, I'm really impressed. Where did you learn that?
Lucy: Hot dogs!
Chris: What?
Lucy: Sometimes hot dogs can come alive.

End of an Era

11 years ago, I was working at a daycare in Wintersville, OH. I was somehow or other under the impression that McDonald's milkshakes were an acceptable form of calcium during pregnancy, and I was spending my very first few days alone while Chris was in Baltimore on a business trip.

I left work on a Friday, picked up Vanessa, the fiancee of Chris' friend (or she picked me up, I can't remember now), made a stop at McDonald's for Fish Fillet Sandwiches and (of course) a milkshake, and headed out to Baltimore to meet our guys. This girl and I had met before, but this was the first time we had spent any real amount of time together, and it felt important for us to get along because it was looking like my husband and her husband-to-be were going to be relocated, taking us to a strange city where just about the only people we would know would be each other.

That was 11 years ago. I wish I could go back and tell my old self, nervous about a 5 hour drive with someone I barely knew, that it would all be okay. "She is one day going to pressure you into joining a gym," I would tell myself, "and you will love it! You will both be pregnant at the same time soon, and your kids are going to be great friends. One day both of your husbands are going to feel bad about spending all night playing computer games together, and they will buy you matching KitchenAid mixers to apologize. You will borrow recipes from, swap old-wives-tales with, and meet this woman at coffee shops late at night when you are both desperate and in need of adult conversation. You are going to spend Christmases, New Years, Thanksgivings and Easters with these people, and it is what is going to make this new city feel like Home."

These are the things I was thinking about when the Lobers came over after church on Sunday for the last time, ever. Our kids played their last game of whatever-it-is, some Indian/super-hero hybrid thing that can only be played satisfactorily in each others' company, and we sat around the table and talked, laughing with and at each other in the casual way that has grown up between us. By the end of this week, the Lobers will be gone, off to a better job, a super-sweet house, and a family support system that has always haunted them. Because they are like family to us, because we love them we are very, deeply happy for them. Because they are like family to us, and because we love them we are also sad to see them go.

As they pulled out of our driveway last Sunday, I used Chris' shirt to dry my eyes and he patted me on the head. "It was a good run, " he said to me, "People these days don't usually get so long before moving on." He was right. It was a good run, and like all good things it had to come to an end. We will miss them sorely, but I am grateful for the years' worth of memories and friendship that we have built up with them, and we wish them all the luck in the world as they move on to the next phase in their lives.

Tooth Fairy Trouble

Here is what happened: Claire's friend just lost her tooth last week, and she proudly showed Claire the little toy the Tooth Fairy brought her. A few days later, Claire also lost a tooth.

The Tooth Fairy has never brought anything other than a dollar around here, and even that cannot be counted on to arrive on time. (We all know how flighty the Tooth Fairy is, right? Sometimes it takes her a couple of days to remember......this is common knowledge - and don't even think about telling my kids otherwise!)

So, Claire thinks about this injustice as she prepares her tooth for its pillow. Then she decides to take action, showing her parents the note below just before bedtime.

I am sure this put the Tooth Fairy in a pickle, because she was not prepared to deposit a toy under Claire's pillow that night. In fact, she was probably not happy about setting a new precedent in regards to tooth compensation. She was also probably completely unsure how to handle this situation.

Luckily, I think she finally hit upon more or less the right note: she gave in to the immediate request, but laid the guilt on thickly to prevent its ever being made again. This was perhaps not the best tactic in the world, but hey! It worked.

Blueberry picking!

Yes, it was hot. Yes, the girls were tired by the end. Yes, it was maybe not a good idea to stay up late for an outdoor performance of "A Midsummer's Night Dream" the night before....But this is becoming a tradition we all love (the ice cream at the end does a lot to help with this, thanks to Grandma Mlinek!) and we now have around 15 pounds of gorgeous, fresh, delicious blueberries to play around with! Jam, pies, cobblers, buckles are all in our future....if the girls don't gobble up all 15 pounds first.

It is too hot to do anything but this...

...so this is all we are doing.

Happy 4th of July!

We had some friends and family over for a little cookout yesterday, and it was a lot of fun! The kids all converged on the pool, the adults lounged (and sweated) on the deck, and then we wrapped it all up with a little fireworks display. It was shorter than the fireworks last year (which went on so long the kids actually got bored) but much more impressive.

Here are some videos - the kickoff, and then later on when the guys were really warmed up.

Cranky musings of a pregnant whiner who does not appreciate nature the way she should

Every hour spent working in the yard confirms to me how much I hate working in the yard.

When we are done, sweaty and tired, itchy and achy, it might help if I felt a sense of accomplishment but I don't. What I feel is a sense of despair, that we will never have enough time, enough money, enough energy, enough willpower, enough know-how to ever transform this potentially beautiful yard from the white trash dumping ground of the dead and dying (except for the prickly weeds, which are flourishing nicely) that it currently is.

Chris and I recently saw a t.v. show where drug smugglers offered to landscape the yard of an elderly lady for free, so that they could secretly grow marijuana in the corner. They did good work, and her yard looked great (aside from the plot of weed - although, to be fair, that also was well-maintained and looked about as nice as a garden of illegal drugs can.) Is it wrong of me to be jealous of this scenario?

Fusion Pilates for Pregnancy, opinionated audience edition

Overheard while trying to follow an exercise video this morning:

"This looks too easy!" "That's because you're not pregnant."

"You look like a doggie, Mommy." *

"Why are you breathing like that?"

"You don't look like the lady on the t.v."

"Why do you always use the wrong side when they say 'left' or 'right'?"

"I can do that! I do that all the time, anyways!"

"Why are you sweating from stretching out?"

"Will I have to do this, too, when I am pregnant?"


*I don't know if that comment was because I was on all fours, or because of the panting.....

Summer In My Eyes

This is Katie, the oldest daughter. I am currently 10, about 4 months until new baby and my 11th birthday. I have finished Elementary (congrats to other family members who have graduated in some way, I will not say names) school on June 17,2010. The ceremony was about 1 hour long!! I enjoyed my last time teasing there, though it's ALWAYS hard to say goodbye. I have (naturally) been having dreams taking place in Middle School. Here's the funny thing, though: In 4th grade, I had a dream where I was at some school but didn't belong there. The kids were all older. This year, though, I visited the same place, but I belonged there (but of course, forgot my book bag) !!! Isn't that ironic? This summer we've worked on the pool, organized the craft room, and cleaned. My friend has been at the beach, and therefore I am slowly crumbling inside. The pool should be ready at the end of the week, there's the 4th of July and fireworks, and summer has only just started. While the girls play Violent polly pockets (burning houses, murders, psycho person), Mom exercises, and Dad changes from his work clothes, I feel contented. Oh, and I got straight As again, but there's summer homework!!! Boy, summer is good.

5 steps to achieve peace (not the political kind, but still nice)

I have discovered the secret to summertime peace and happiness!

Here are the steps, they are very simple but require a decent amount of stamina in the beginning.

1- Make a big, special breakfast and while the children are snarfing it down declare that today is a Cleaning Day.
2- Write detailed, very specific, very long lists for every child - even the ones who can't read.
3- Commence cleaning, circling around every once in a while to point out the things the children have done half-heartedly, and make them do it again.
4- Every time someone claims to be done, inspect the work closely.
5- If it isn't perfect, make them re-do it. If it's okay, give them something else to do.

At the end of this you will have two things: a sparkling house, and complete peace and quiet as the children are all afraid that making eye contact with you might generate more housework.

Ahhhhh.

Sumer Is Icumen In

We have declared today the first official day of summer for our family!

Due to the insane amounts of snow this winter, the girls were in school until Friday. However, the teachers gave up somewhere around the end of May and the weeks left were basically nothing but a collection of parties, picnics, field trips and more parties. Add to that Katie's elementary school graduation (pictures and video will be forthcoming), the yearly birthday-party-a-thon that ensues among Beth's friends, who for some reason were all born within two months of each other, and various other getting-ready-for-summer activities ....and you have one worn out family!

This morning, Katie and I got up early and took a nice long walk. Later on today the girls and I are going to run to the store for milk and then finish organizing our new "craft room." These are the day's activities. We are chilling, man.

Our annual hot weather life of leisure has officially begun! Ahhhhh. As soon as I get around to making lemonade, I'm going to enjoy a nice cold glass of it.

Making the case for having more kids

I wish that there was a way to use an embedded link during actual, face-to-face conversations. It would make responding to people who are clearly puzzled by the size of our family so much easier! I could just say, "Here- read this. We aren't as crazy as we look."

The Breeders' Cup from the WSJ. Read it, there's some cool stuff in there.

Overheard

Katie to Lucy, "Don't pick your nose!"

Lucy to Katie, "I'm not picking, I'm just cleaning it out."

When "suffer the little children" means actual suffering

I like to think of myself, ten years and soon-to-be six kids into motherhood, as a veteran parent. I don't claim to know a whole lot about a whole lot, but I know my kids fairly well and we have finally reached a stage where I have confidence in my role as their mother. This isn't to say that I am never overwhelmed or frustrated or at my wit's end, but at least I have finally realized that I just need to ride the crappy times out, and things will work out. Where my "veteran" status shows, in my opinion, is in public where the girls are almost always mannerly, sweet, calm and collected. Although it used to happen more than I would like to admit, I can't remember the last time I found myself overwhelmed and in tears in a public place.

Actually, I mean the last time before today.

Chris got up early and went to mass alone this morning, as he had stuff to do and the rest of us couldn't go to mass until noon, once we had returned Katie's friend after a sleepover. Taking the kids to mass solo isn't a huge deal anymore. Chris did it all the time when I was working, since I usually had to go to the too-late-for-the-little-girls Saturday evening mass, and he never had a problem.

It just wasn't my day, though. Lucy tripped and fell on her way out the door, and although we had bandaged her bloody knee, she never really recovered. She was whiny and demanding from the get-go at church, and the deck was stacked against us as it was a bilingual mass, which to the girls just means twice as long as usual.

At one point, I hauled her to the back and discussed rather vigorously where her behaviour had gone wrong, and what she needed to do to get things back on track. We seemed to be in agreement, so back into the church we went.....Five minutes later, I was staggering under the weight of her squirming 3 year body as I beat my way to the back again while she screeched at the top of her lungs, "I am really mad at you!"

I had to take her outside, because she was too loud even for the back of church. There we stood, my screaming toddler and I, as my eyes filled with frustrated tears and I felt like I was 3 years old myself.


Lesson learned: there is no such thing as a veteran parent. I may have a better idea of what I am doing now, but all that really means is that I have a dim flashlight as I still grope my way through dark territory. I don't think there is a point at which I will be able to sit back and congratulate myself on having it all figured out. That's probably half of the point of having kids in the first place: you teach them, they teach you. I am finding their "humility and growing patience" curriculum to be pretty effective.

The Before of Biztown

I am Katie,10years old, in 5th grade. There is a field trip that we have . It is called JA Biztown. You have a job and a company. It is like a mini town. There's a mayor, even. The companies are City Hall, Restaurant( Papa Johns), Financial Planning, Tech shop(Best Buy), T.V. Station, Insurance, Bank, Utilities, Newspaper, UPS Delivery & Supply Center, Science Lab, and Radio Station. First, we had to decide what job we wanted. I couldn't decide between radio or newspaper reporter. I decided radio reporter in case my friend got her job. Then we filled out resumes and application sheets. Then, parents came in and we all had an interview! I had a dad, he really liked me. Especailly my sisters. Also, I was his last interview, so he might have remembered me better. Then in 4 days after that(we got interviewed on Friday) we got our result. Almost no one got their first chioce job. I guess that made me feel better, because I got my job!!!!! My friend didn't though, but at least she likes her job. Then we got together with our group( I have the best group ever!!) and had meetings. We made ads and prices . Our name is the Around the World Radio, or A.W. Radio. Our slogan is: Listen! Do you hear that sound? It's our radio station travlin' the whole world round. We go THIS MONDAY, JUNE 7!!! Any questions, please comment. I will say how it was after we go.

The slip and slide was defective....

...but they worked it out! Here's the before and after videos!

disturbing. disgusting. weird.

We've finally found potty-training nirvana.

Lucy hasn't had an accident in almost a week! She is using the bathroom for everything and hardly ever needs reminders to go. She is also using the big potty (hooray!) and doing all the clean up (both her bottom and her hands) on her own.

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!

The only thing is.......... she names her poop. Late last week, as she was cleaning herself off, Lucy looked into the potty and declared to me, "That one looks like Bob!"

"Who is Bob?" I asked.

She pointed to a specific hunk of poop. "That is Bob," she said.

A few days later, as I was toweling her off after her bath, she noticed a piece of construction paper that had been left on the floor, and was covered with wet splotches.

"That one looks just like Bob!" she declared.

"Who is Bob?" I asked again, really curious.

"My poopie," she said.

Today, as she was cleaning up after using the potty, Lucy glanced into the bowl before flushing it. "That one is not Bob," she said.

I have no idea where this is coming from. At first I thought - maybe Bob the Tomato? But, ah, the specimen she specifically said was not Bob was the only one that looked even vaguely tomato-ish. Bob the Builder? We really don't watch that show, though. ( Handy Manny has totally left Bob the B in the dust.) My father's name is Bob....but I'm pretty sure Lucy doesn't even know that.

It is an absolute mystery. A really gross mystery. But intriguing nonetheless. (Maybe that's just me, though.)

It's a girl! (Again!) (Of course!)

My thoughts:

1- Wow!

2- What are the odds? (Actually, pretty good and getting better with each girl that comes down the pike. It just feels like we are beating them. )

3- My Father in Law is an actual, honest-to-goodness prophet!*

4- It makes me sad that so many people are going to assume that we were "going for a boy," and will feel sorry for us. It's never been about that as far as we are concerned. People tend to think that having more than the standard amount of kids is crazy, so I guess they look for things to explain it to themselves in a satisfactory way. They ought to realize that we just happen to embrace the craziness, and feel some things (like having 6 kids in 10 years) are worth doing even though it might be hard.

5- I was not actually scheduled for a sonogram. The doctor, after an agonizingly long time searching for the baby's heartbeat, sent me over to the hospital for an emergency sonogram. When the nurse asked him what the sonogram was for, and I heard him quietly answer "viability," my heart lodged into my throat. During the 45 minutes between realizing that something may have gone horribly wrong, and seeing the baby's gorgeous fluttering heartbeat on the screen, I had nothing but time to reflect on how very, very desperate I was for this baby to be okay. The big news during this sonogram was not "It's a girl!" It was, "She's alive and well!" and nothing else mattered. Nothing.

6- A part of me secretly worried that, should we have a boy, I might lose my identity. That's ridiculous, right? It is. It is. Still, having a family of girls has been such a part of my life for so long that I couldn't help but wonder if I could hack a change this late in the game. I guess I don't need to worry about that right now!

7- I do mourn the potential to name this baby "Zeke," even though we knew that we would be accused of naming the baby after our favorite coffee. Zeke's may make the best coffee in the world, but that has no bearing on the fact that it is also a supercool name! I don't think a girl could pull it off, though, so the name is a moot point.

8- There is a different dynamic between mothers and daughters and mothers and sons. The same goes with fathers - it is just a different ballgame between boys and girls. Do we sometimes wonder what it would be like to experience that different dynamic? Sure. Do we regret that we haven't? No. In case you haven't noticed, we are take-things-as-they-come kind of people. We'll take the largish family, gladly. And we'll take the girls, just as gladly, though we may not have planned for either.


8- This is my nephew after only an hour or so at our house. He is an extremely boyish boy, too! He's always pointing stuff out to my girls for their edification - things like grills, dump trucks and helicopters. They smile politely at him and then look over at me with confused faces. Why would he care about these things? They ask me. I do not know. I do not know.



*I thought that I had posted before about "The Prophecy," but I looking through the archives, I see I haven't. Waaaay back, when Katie was just 8 months old and we had just discovered that I was pregnant again, Chris's Dad had an extremely vivid dream in which we had 6 girls. We laughed heartily at the thought, and then dismissed it. His family has always believed in the dream, though. When we couldn't determine the sex during our 3rd pregnancy, we felt positive that we were having a boy. Chris' Mom, however, went out and bought three dresses for the Christmas following the baby's birth. Those dresses have now been used many, many times!!! And now, nine years after the fact, it has become clear as can be that the dream was indeed prophetic!