I can't think of a witty title for this post

Lily: When I get older, do I have to get married?

Me: No, you can decide when you grow up what you want to do.

L: Why did you get married?

Me: Because wanted a partner and a family.

L: If I don't get married do I have to live alone?

Me: No! You can decide that when you're older. You could have a roommate.

Drew: When I grow up, I'm going to marry Lily. And then we're going to do flips and she's going to be on my shoulders.

Me: Oh, you're going to do gymnastics at your wedding?

D: No.

Lily: In the old days, before the had toilets inside, people had to go outside to use the toilet. Mimi has a outside toilet. But, Papa patched it, so there is no hole to go to the bathroom anymore.*

*My mother does have an outhouse in her backyard. She uses it as a shed. If you knew my mother, it wouldn't be shocking.

Is there a music career in her future?

Julianna discovered that the microphone amplified her voice today. Or, at least she figured out that if she yelled into the microphone that it made a noise!! Lily thought it was hysterical.

Lily and Drew-isms

muffs = puffs

flying sausage = flying saucer

fairy good mother = fairy god mother

pull zye = bulls eye

Buzz Lighten Ear = Buzz Lightyear

Sleeping Bootie = Sleeping Beauty

eat = it

maggots = magnets

carten-wheel = cartwheel

Lay-Lay = Lily

cheetahs = Cheetos

Hipp-po-pot- ta mus = hippopotamus

hambur-bur-ger-ger = hamburger

I'll add more as I think of them.

I ONLY stay home

When I first started staying home full time, without a job or an income, it was an adjustment. For a long time I felt like I needed to defend the decision to stay home, to explain to everyone that yes I had graduated from college, and yes, I was JUST staying home.

I am all about women's rights. I am socially a very liberal person. However, I think many people misunderstand what women's rights actually mean for someone like me. I feel like all the women that fought before me, for the right to vote and the right to become educated and have a career, were actually fighting for the right to CHOOSE what to do in life. They were fighting for options. I think that some people assume that if you're a strong, independent woman that you should be working outside the home and pursuing a career. However, as a strong independent woman, I am making the choice to stay home and raise my children.

I admire working moms. I think that they are amazing and fantastic and I don't think that I could manage a life of work and children. If you are a working mom, and doing it well, more power to you! However, for me, being a mom is what I have dreamed about doing my whole life. I am very lucky to be in this position, with a supportive husband and an income that makes it possible. This life is what I have chosen for myself and I am grateful for the choice.

Many people have a hard time understanding how a mom who stays home with three children fills her days. They don't understand how we aren't sitting around all day bored out of our minds. I can tell you that that is not the case. In fact, we are so busy sometimes that I have a hard time fitting all the chores and errands into our week. I can fill a week easily with many child-centered activities outside our home. And when we are home we are busy playing, cooking, cleaning (sometimes) and just spending time together. I am the lucky one that gets to kiss the scrapes and the one that gets to answer their questions about life and teach them about the magic of cornstarch mixed with water.

I know that they would be just fine at daycare. They would learn and make friends and would probably have a great time...but, I would miss so much! Time is precious and it goes quickly. Before I know it they will be in school all day and I will be carting them to and fro to all of their activities. However, I will be a constant in their life. I will be there when they get home from school. I will know their friends. I will still be making their dinner and asking them about their favorite part of the day. I know that when I am older and look back on this time in my life, I will consider myself a successful person. I will have had a major role in shaping three human beings into capable, independent adults. And I hope, when the time comes, that my girls exercise their right to choose their path in life!

One-on-one

Julianna and I spent some one on one time today. It was the first time that she has gotten to attend a playgroup without her brother and/or sister. It was fun to see how she was with the other babies and kids when she didn't have Lily and Drew to follow.

I know that she's already developing her own personality, but I don't get to observe it very often. She wasn't shy, but she was cautiously friendly. She would smile at anyone that was talking to her and explored the toys that were near by her. She didn't go out and explore without me until the very end, and preferred to watch all the other babies and mommies.

She's such a tiny little girl and has decided that she's not too interested in walking just yet. However, she says many, many words apropriately. She says Mama, Dada, Papa, baby, ball, Drew, Lily (yeye), thank you (seriously!), duck (and she quacks when she sees one), bye bye and hello. She's even been known to put a couple of words together like, hi dada. She has also been waving bye bye, playing patty cake and covers her own face for peek a boo. When she's playing peek a boo and loves to yell BOO!

I am a much more relaxed mom with Julianna than I was with the other two. Sometimes I wish that this confidence would have come sooner...but, I suppose I couldn't get to this place without experience and lessons learned from the older two children. Lily's a tough cookie and has really taught me a lot about patience and love that Julianna is currently benefitting from. I am lucky to be at this place in my life. :)

Wordless Wednesday: Almost 5

14 months

23 1/2 months

Day before turning 3

4 days after turn 4!!

Sensitive

Terrible twos is nothing compared to the terrible THREES! I thought we might avoid some of the problems of a three year old with Drew. I thought with his easy going personality that we would fly through the threes with nary a hiccup.

I was wrong.

Drew is still sweet as can be, don't get me wrong. However, it's on his terms now. If he doesn't want to do something he tries his best to pout and refuse. Usually, it's no problem to talk him into whatever you need, but it's hilarious to see him try and fight. He crosses his arms, fake cries as loud as he can, and make an hilarious pouty face. I can hardly keep a straight face when he does this!!

Right here he is demanding a snack. I was trying to finish something up before getting it for him, and he just couldn't wait.

I have no doubt we'll make it through this phase. It's hard to take a tantrum of such a sweet kid seriously. But, he's not always funny with his demands and whining!!

******************************************

On another note about Drew and his sensitive heart.

Today Lily is home sick. I had to go get a prescription filled this morning so I loaded everybody up about 8:45 to go out and get it quickly. When we arrived at the pharmacy at 9 AM on the dot they were still closed (even though 9 is when they open). I said out loud, "Oh no. They're still closed!" And Drew responded, in the sweetest voice, "They're still closed? I'm so sad. I am going to cry." Ha ha ha!! He knew I was disappointed and was feeling bad for me. So funny!!

Drew turns 3

Drew turned three years old this week. He is pretty proud of this fact and has been telling everyone that he is now a "big boy". I don't really know what to share about Drew. He's sweet and funny and easy to parent. Most of the time we're all having a good time.

Right now Drew is into super heroes, planes, trains, and automobiles. He thinks Lily is pretty awesome and loves to love on Julianna. Drew will go along with just about anything, as long as it's going to be a good time. Sometimes I'd like to freeze Drew right where he is in life...but, I look forward to what he's got ahead of him too. I know that he's got a lot of amazing stuff in store for us.

Happy Birthday Drew!!

Flying

I love my life. I live everyday satisfied with where I am and what I am doing. Staying home with my children is a dream come true. However, because I stay home, my life is mostly about my family and children. I do very few things for myself...that's not to say I don't do anything for me, it's just usually small stuff. I like to meet my friends for dessert, go for a run, or read a really good book. These things are important to me, but they don't affect me profoundly.



This past weekend Tom and I took a weekend off from parenting and our regular life to visit my cousin Katie and her husband in Seattle. We had a awesome time seeing the sites, eating really good food, and enjoying great company. They were lovely hosts and it was just a great time all around. So, as I've said before, life is good!



The trip was amazing, but one experience will carry me trough the mundane for at least a year. Katie and I got to take a flying trapeze class. Yes, I said trapeze. We had no idea what to expect and we were so nervous!! I was thinking that we might do some practice on the ground for a while and then towards the end of class we would get to go up and swing. Boy was I wrong! We were up and swinging within 20 minutes of the class starting! We learned tricks, did flips, and even got to be caught! How cool is that!?



I rarely take a risk. I am perfectly happy in this world of loving my husband, children and home. I like the idea of doing something out of the box, but I feel like so much of that needs to wait until my children are older and more independent. So, just going to Seattle was way out of my comfort zone. This trapeze class wasn't even on my radar of possibility a week ago! The experience has really affected me. It was totally empowering to muster up the courage to jump from that platform and swing upside down. I felt so alive and not like anyone's Mommy...for just awhile. It reminded me that I am still me and I really can do anything.



Thanks Katie. Thanks Jamie. I love you guys.
Pictures

Poop

Today Lily was telling me that she'd found some of Coco's poop outside on the ground. Then she said, "Maybe I could become a poop expert and search for poop."

YES SHE DID!!

Details, Details, Details

After my last post, I was thinking more about what we do to fill our days. I thought it might be fun to break down a day for you. So, here's a day in the life of Us.

6:30 AM This is about the time every morning that either Lily or Drew wakes up and crawls in bed with me. I love this snuggle time. Lily just lays very very close to me and squirms. Drew likes to lay face to face and stroke my cheek. There is a trick to keeping this a peaceful activity. As soon as the other child wakes up and comes in to my room, out of bed we go. They cannot be snuggling at the same time!! It's dangerous.

7 AM The morning routine begins. The rule at this house is that you have to be dressed all the way to shoes before you can eat your breakfast. This helps make sure that they are all ready to head out the door, and just gets us started on the right note. After we're dressed it's breakfast. Usually a bowl of cereal and a piece of fruit. If we're in a hurry it might be a granola bar or a poptart (The kids love when we're in a hurry).

8 AM Typically, this is the time that I'm trying to get coats on and out the door. Lily has to be at school between 8:25-8:30 and parking is scarce, so I try to get going early. I'm not always successful, but I try.

8:30-11:30 AM While Lily is at school, Drew, Julianna and I stay busy. Sometimes we go to the grocery store, on a playdate, the library, or sometimes we come home and hang out in the quiet. Today Lily didn't have school and her teacher came for a home visit, so our morning included building with blocks and a Lily directed fire drill. We had a good time with Miss Shanna! Usually, Julianna sneaks a nap in here somewhere.

11:30 AM Lunch. Peanut butter jelly time!! Or peanut butter and honey time, if you're Drew. Most days Tom gets to come home and join us for lunch. I love those days. We all love to see him and it also makes the day seem shorter, some how. After lunch Drew lays down for a nap and Lily goes to quiet time (playing alone in her room). Julianna and I usually spend some time playing a game of peek-a-boo or patty cake. I sometimes wish that she and Drew would nap at the same time, but for now, since she has a morning nap, her afternoon nap comes after Drew wakes up.

2 PM Julianna is ready for an afternoon nap and Drew is waking up from one. This is when free playtime happens. Today we've been doing dress-up, playing with a cardboard box and jamming to some tunes.

3 PM Snack. Today we had popcorn sprinkled with M&Ms. I broke tiny pieces up for Julianna and she couldn't eat it fast enough. After snack is more play time. Right now, it's 4:30 and they are all decked out in dress up clothes dancing to the soundtrack of Annie.

5 PM I usually start dinner about this time everyday. This signals to Lily that it's time for computer time. This seems to have worked out nicely. It keeps her computer time limited and keeps her out of the kitchen while I'm trying to cook.

6 PM Dinner. Last night we all sat down together and had chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans. Sometimes Tom and I have a version of a date night. I feed the kids something like mac and cheese or leftovers and then after the kids go to bed, Tom and I get take out and eat in peace.

6:30 PM Directly after dinner we either do bathtime or get our clothes picked out for the next morning (this sets me up for a smooth morning). Then we read books, brush teeth, snuggle, tickle and then the kids head to bed.

7 PM BEDTIME. Yup, that's right. My kids go to bed that early! And it's lovely.

Unstructured Free Play

Some people wonder what the kids and I do during the day when the TV limit is 30 minutes to one hour everyday. Honestly, it's not always easy. We get bored and on each other's nerves and it would be simple to just turn on the tube. And to be totally honest, sometimes I do just that, I turn it on at the end of a long day when I just have nothing left to give, and it's either yell at the kids or turn on PBS. However, most days we go with little to no TV time.

Most mornings are filled with errands, playdates, and story hour. And in the afternoon we have naps/quiet time followed by unstructured free play and snacks. This time give the kids a chance to be creative and learn so many valuable lessons. Sometimes I play with them and sometimes I don't, but either way they are learning. I used to feel guilty for just letting the play and not organizing activities to fill our afternoons. However, now I've learned (through research and experience) that free play is a very good thing. That's not to say that we don't do activities together or that everything is a disorganized mess around here...it just means that we find time to explore, play and create within our own home and with what we have available.

Here are some pictures of what we've been busy with lately.

Here Lily was decorating using her playhouse.

Cardboard boxes are the greatest.

Peek-a-boo!!

a bit of a "rest" time...

I have no idea what's going on here...but they were

busy, busy, busy!

Wordless Wednesday: Tom's Christmas present from the kids and I

I'm a big boy now

After much anxiety and second thoughts on my part, and excitement and wonder on Drew's part, he finally had his first day of preschool. It went perfectly. He was happy to go. He did a lovely job of getting ready this morning and hugged me goodbye when I dropped him off. When I picked him up he told me every detail of his day.

After we dropped him off, Julianna and I came home to a quiet house. She laid down for a morning nap and I had NO IDEA what to do with myself. It was so quiet and weird without Drew with me. You'd think that I'd be ready for this, I've done it before (dropping off a child for their first day of preschool, I mean)...but, with Lily it was different. I didn't start staying home full time until she was 19 months old. And she has never been the type to just hang out with Mommy. She's always been much too busy to run errands or play Barbies with me, she'd rather be on her own or out of the house taking a swimming lesson or staying busy other ways. I've been a stay at home mom with Drew since day one. His personality is one that is happy to run errands with Mommy and he includes me in a game of cars. So, it was weird to come home and not have my sidekick around to help me with the vacuuming.

I'm sure that I will get used to this. I know that now I will have time to get a few more things done in the mornings. However, I can't say I won't miss his smiling face!

Here's the funny of the morning. When Tom and I got there to drop Drew off, one of the paraprofessionals in his classroom came over to greet him. She was speaking to him like he was a baby. She took his backpack from him to show him how to hang it up on the hook in his locker. All why talking baby talk...then my smart little boy says to this lady, "I can hang my coat on the hook by myself." She was shocked. I don't know what she was expecting...but Drew obviously will not be spoken down to. :)

Style Series: Sleeping Beauty

This girl is even fashionable in her sleep. In this picture she's down for the night...fancy headband and all.

I love this. There are little parts of every stage my children go thru that I'd like to save. I'd like to keep the newborn squeaks and stretches; and the wild kicking of a 6 month old. I love when they learn to wave bye-bye or discover that someone will wave back. Or when they are a toddler it is so fun to watch how quickly they learn and imitate what they see. The two year olds are fun because that's when you can really see a personality shine thru. Then, when they are three they are really developing their own ideas and verbalizing them. A four year old is always excited to help out with little chores and show off their independence. For example, Lily got to order a taco all by herself at a restaurant the other day and even got to pay for in all by herself.

Today was a hectic, back to business, too long a the doctor's office, poop-filled, disorganized mess of a morning. But, it's okay because I can't even count how many kisses, "i love yous", and hugs I have received from my children today. I'll manage, because we will only be at this stage, on this day, once. Tomorrow Julianna might learn a new word, and Drew will start preschool, and Lily will learn all about her new focus: homo habilis, homo erectus, and homo sapiens. They will never be the same as they are right now.

Let Birthday Season Begin...

Julianna turned one yesterday. What a joy it has been being her mom. She is sweet and funny and totally easy-going. We are all lucky to have her around!

Tiny babies come with so much guess work. Are they getting enough to eat? Sleep? Are you teaching them enough? Are they meeting their milestones? Is this rash something we should worry about? Do we let her cry or just rock her to sleep? Julianna has been lucky. We have had the experience of guessing with two babies before her so we were much more laid back. We were able to enjoy her so much more and not stress about if she'd cried too long or not started rice cereal on exactly the correct day.

There are some disadvantages to being the third child too. She doesn't often get to have both her naps in her own bed. She has to catch them on the fly, during activities for the other kids or in the car on the way to pick up Lily from school. She also has to wait a lot more. Sometimes I can't get right to her when she needs something. She's pretty patient, which is good, because she has to wait her turn a lot.

I have always wanted three children. Until we had Julianna, it felt like someone was missing from our family. Now we are complete. I am so grateful that we are all healthy and happy!

Happy Bithday Julianna!!