4 Year Check-Up

Well, 4 year check-up that was 5 months late. I'm just trying to squeeze in some last minute points for Mother of the Year. Having a summer birthday is rough when it comes to scheduling and I'm terrible at scheduling things way in advance. We are usually away over their birthday and then once we've returned the office is bustling with back-to-school visits. So I waited sweet forever but the good Doc didn't mind a bit, she agreed it's quieter and easier this time of year.

My ladies are healthy and thriving, petite and advanced. No signs of prematurity! I have slacked on enforcing their diet but I will now drive them hard. Apparently gagging to the point of purging is a "food tantrum" and I shouldn't tolerate it. So I rode them at lunch and she was right! All this time I thought it was impossible for a 3-4 year old to have such control, but the moment I told my dear child to cut it out and eat, she did! I really thought she was genuinely gagging! I feel a bit like a failure, and I've totally be had, but I am ready for battle now!

I was surprised to find they only weigh 32.5 lbs. each! One most definitely feels heavier, and looks bigger, but I suppose the scales don't lie. We weighed and measured twice just to be sure! I was pleasantly surprised by how well the FOUR shots went, even for the second child. Minimal tears. They were more startled by the nasal mist! HA!

I'm sure I say this every year, but is anyone else alarmed at the indicator questions? The things that children of whatever age should know? I really worry about where my ladies will be when they start school. They are doing things off the 5 and 6 year old lists with ease! Had they known phone numbers they would have already met the 6 year old indicators, but I just haven't bothered with phone numbers. I can barely remember my own!

Can you believe a 4 year old is only expected to be able to count to 20?

Or that being able to draw a circle is a 4 year old indicator, but triangles belong to 5 year olds?

Hopping on one foot? Knowing your name, address, and phone number? 6 year old!

When asked for their full names they both started to spell it all out. I thought nothing of this, and when on to explain how we're doing the sight words/reading/spell stuff, but apparently that's not common. Do these indicators seem low to you? I understand not all children have people working with them, yadda yadda, but I feel that the biggest slug of a parent who drops their kid in front of the tv all day will have picked up counting and letters from Se.same St.reet and Do.ra! She was impressed with their vocabulary and communication, my concern for Claire's occasional Boston accent was completely dismissed and the baby talk that seems to be cropping up is just a phase and I should discourage. Here I was worrying about speech therapy!

Before I digress into some rant about American children falling behind, I really need to know if I'm alone here. I really don't think my children are that advanced or extraordinary. Every time we leave that office I feel like I'm holding hands with little Einsteins as we cross the parking lot who will recite the cures for cancer and the common cold on our way home. Perhaps it's just my doctor being nice, and maybe all doctors are this way, but I can't help but wonder if everyone's visits are like this.

Why do we expect so little from children?

Are my standards too high?

Someone people give me the look when they hear we do preschool at home. I get the impression that I should be letting them enjoy their youth, and trust me they do. If my two hours, 4 days a week, has advanced them this much, I'm tempted to go to three hours and see if we can complete the high school curriculum by the time they're 6!

Hooray for my little geniuses!

Christmas 2013

Christmas 2013

7: Hours I slept 

9: Gifts we gave the girls

273: Times I reiterated Santa was fiction

3948574832: Times I questioned going against the grain

2: Reminders to be grateful 

8: Dishes I cooked for dinner

3: Times I cried

5: Confirmations I was hatched

0: Number of usable "Christmas morning" pictures

Poor lighting, big lens, slow shutter, just terrible pictures. The clear ones are blown with flash. Oh well, who really goes back to look at wrapping paper all over the floor?

This year, as in years past, we kept things small and simple. I much prefer this. The hubs is slowly but surely coming around. This is the entirety of the ladies' Christmas gifts. 

Those patterned boxes on the right, they are gifts they purchased for each other. You know I can't be bothered with such floofy paper. Count them, with the easel and castle they had a total of 9 gifts between them. 

Do you know how much hell I took for this?!

The people at work thought I was terrible! My mother gave me the side eye. Friends think I am scaring them and a lady at work offered to take me out thinking I couldn't afford to spoil them. Is it such a bad thing not to spoil them? I think spoiling is a shame. I am not wasting money on more gifts just so they can have the pleasure of opening them! Nonsense! I only buy gifts they will value and use. Emphasis on use. Everyone can point to at least one toy in their house that gets little to no action. Why make that pile grow? I spend time analyzing their play and seeing what they use and enjoy, I want toys they will go back to time and again. I want my money's worth while conserving space in my shoe box of a house. 

I also think this business of list writing is ridiculous. I don't need sheets and sheets of toddler shopping guides, I worry they will set expectations. You may give each other gift ideas if you're stuck, but I will not be encouraging or accepting any ransom notes. I was quite pleased when I had to coax ideas out of them for gifts to give each other because I had already gotten the things they most desired. Score one for this mom! 

Even with all the excitement of gifts under the tree and visible gifts to see and touch, our ladies came down and immediately went to the train garden to see what had been added this year. They were most excited about our train garden, and this warms my cold, little heart. 

So what did they get? The easel and castle I made, both big hits, with appropriate accessories. A set of magna tiles to add to their collection, another winner. Two dresses each. Lastly, an unplanned surprise. Zul.ily delivered earlier than planned so they received their own Beatrix Potter collection.

We then travelled to our first set of Grandparents for breakfast and returned home to cook and change. 

I cooked my first holiday meal which was promptly loaded up and delivered to my inlaws for our third Christmas of the day.

Our annual "in front of the tree" picture. This was post melt down once we collected ourselves. One of my ladies has an issue with certain pants/tights/socks. Sigh. This could drive me to drink but some battles just aren't worth the fight!

And for comparison, all the others. Someone forgot to get a picture last year!

So after all the preping, cooking, and cleaning, I didn't take one picture of the meal. I was nearly in tears when we showed up at my in laws. I picked up paper and plastic wear figuring it would be easier and quicker for everyone, it's not the setting but the meal that is shared. Well Pop blew me away by carting out the china. *tear*

I did document his unique butter butchering. ;)

Do you cook?

It was so nice to share a family meal that wasn't out of control. It was small and simple. Just us and I loved it. I could really do this every Sunday! I could totally be a Walton!! More importantly, no one died from my cooking!

The ladies trudged through dinner, nicely taking their no thank-you bites of ham. Oh how I wished they would eat better, but I've learned that forcing that issue gets us no where fast. After eating like birds, they were driving us hard for desert. So of course we s-l-o-w-l-y opened gifts. 

Our biggest gift given this year to my MIL was in iPad. She will finally have a functional and up-to-date "computer" to keep in touch with the outside world. The downside here is that she is upgrading from a Windows.95 machine with dial-up so there will be a bit of a learning curve. HA!

I was also pretty proud of my money gift. I had nothing to give my parents. Parents are just hard to shop for, and I feel a bit guilty knowing that since the ladies have been around my parents have received nothing but pictures in some form. Granted they rant and rave, apparently my father has a now two year old calendar still on his desk he refused to part with, but I feel a bit redundant. I so hummed and hawed, and ran out of time which sent the Hubs running to the ATM on Christmas Eve. I know, great timing! Knowing dear Papa has lost a good deal of weight, I figured clothes would be appropriate. Since I hate shopping for clothes I opted to dress up the money!

Way better than plain cash in a card, right? And who can turn down money? Of course I had the obligatory photos waiting, a new calendar and photo book, I just needed to do something different this year. Can you believe my mother took the card to work to show off?

I guess I'll take that as a compliment. 

So what were the highlight of your Christmas?

Hopefully I'll have a completed castle post before New Year's. The ladies are having a blast with it, and have taken to using the playmobi.l people with it. It all blends so well together. :)

Homemade Christmas

It's no secret I love to give homemade gifts. I love crafting something for someone, something they will hopefully appreciate and use. I'll spare you the dialogue about commercialism and not funding big companies. I'm proud of myself for being reasonable this year. Cutting back, even with my procrastinating, allows me to finish before Christmas Eve. Everyone likes a happy and non-stressed Mommy around the holidays!

So today this beauty will be gifted. 

Although I am fairly anti-princess and Di.sney, HAM laps it all up. Until November she was a pretty big Cind.erella fan and I finished it as that castle. But then she fell for Sofia, so I fell for a can of primer. 

She might not fall in love with it, she might not appreciate my work. But I didn't gift her some giant piece of Di.sney plastic and for that I am elated. 

Lost Legs

Why was I worried about bunk beds???

I'm sure it has absolutely nothing to do with this. Nothing at all! 

Knock on wood, so far so good. I'm also glad they still enjoy them, to the point of bragging. Granted their 'friend' group is small, and the coolness of their bed is destine to drop once they hit school, but for now I'll pat myself on the back. 

Right after I check on them just once more. 

Wordless Wednesday

Today's big accomplishment.

Also, this:

And lastly, not hyperventilating over:

Yes there is glitter ALL OVER THE MAIN LEVEL!!! It looks like a craft fairy was murdered in the breakfast nook and her tiny body savagely ripped to pieces and drug all over the house leaving behind a trail of magical, sparkly, fairy blood. Grrrr...

Snowless Saturday

Saturday was a family Christmas party, the cousins party. We get all the kids together for the afternoon. It's always good fun and the kids go on and on about it. This year we were threatened with snow. Well some of us were threatened, I was prepared with snow suits and saucers!

We trudged on, with no snow falling, and enjoyed a day with this rowdy bunch!

We have reached the age of abandonment. The ladies now abandon me in search of their cousins and a basement full of new and different toys. Sniff, sniff. 

I made sure to have entertainment, and these kids did not disappoint! I set up a few minute-to-win-it style games which the bigger kids enjoyed and the adults loved to watch. 

Who knew these games would be so popular?! They were hysterical to watch. I only wish the basement had better lighting for pictures. I now know for Easter that the more ridiculous the better for this crew.

They also had a craft set up. Each child made a handprint snowman ornament. 

Unfortunately, I do not have a matched set. Someone refused to put her hand in paint. Sigh. 

After all the shenanigans and lunch we settled in for dessert and the gift exchange. I love the mass unwrapping, there is chaos and no one is singled out for their reaction or chance to boast. (Yes, I asked for and received outfits for the ladies.) The ladies were ecstatic over their new dresses and accessories. 

So much so they had to be laundered and worn immediately. 

I was excited my snowman cupcakes turned out. They even survived a long car trip and car tumble! 

They looked nice but were way too rich. 

Hope you're busy making some holiday memories!

Snow Day

The first snow day of the 2013-14 school year is in the books. It was a waste of a snow day, a melting, soggy mess. No snow was played in, and the layer of ice tainted the remaining snow. We did go out however the entertainment of the day was inside, trying to work on crossword puzzles in peace. 

Since the county closed today despite the warm temps and clear roads, I'm sure they won't be closing tomorrow for the pending snow. On the off chance they do close, or the banding is severe enough to keep them closed Wednesday as well, I'm hopeful we can find a Chistmas tree and make it to the post office! If not, at least I will have an extra body for the ladies to jump on! 

Whoever said having the hubs home was distracting?!

December Goals

I did amazingly well in November without really trying! I have nearly all my shopping for this holiday finished and the cards are all signed and addressed, if only I had stamps! I didn't make it out for a night the hubs, but we'll survive. December is another month right?

WRONG!

December is the month from hell! Things to do, places to go, people to see! This month is all about going. Christmas preparations, parties, and concerts. We will most definitely be treading water while trying to look happy and festive for the ladies. Despite being ahead on the Christmas front, I can feel my motivation dwindling. Sensible and realistic goals! Here goes...

Family

• NOT address the elephant in the room at the family Christmas party!
• Get all the games and food together for the party
• Eat at home more
• Plan Christmas dinner menu and logistics
• Plan Christmas morning, my parents?

Home

• Christmas tree
• Decorate the house
• CLEANNNNNNNNNN (I'm not the only one who compulsively cleans for the imaginary fat man who doesn't come down our chimney, right?)

Personal

• Pick up odds & ends
• Wrap before the 20th
• Stockings stuffed by the 20th

House Update

I'm so excited. The house is almost 'move-in' ready. Yesterday I stained the floors and painted the stairwells. I wish I had gone a hair darker on the floors, something a little more rich, but I'm pleased with the grain coming through. My initial plans of wood print paper didn't pan out because the grain was so wide. I like this better though. I need to decide on a finish soon, matte or gloss? Should I spray it with clear coat or mod podge the hell out of it? 

Look how pretty! Yes, I'm really this excited over a doll house! 

I think I'm going to paint all the outward facing frame gray or white. I'm quite pleased with how the rooms turned out with the wall paper. I nearly died trying to paint the stair wells! I did everything in my power to remain slow and steady. 

This room is the only one I'm having issues with. It's just sooooo dark. I was thinking maybe some wainscoting or just washing the walls with white to lighten it up. I was also considering adding baseboards, but then I would have to add them everywhere. 

Hopefully next Wednesday I can tape off all the windows and openings to paint the outside.  

I'm going with a textured spray paint to help hide some of the inconsistencies. This is a cheap balsa castle after all. I'm debating some outside details as well, but I haven't wrapped my head around those yet. 

I also need to decide on a door color. I feel a castle would have weathered door, but I'm not sure the ladies would appreciate my antiquing. The outside of the castle will be a white stone, but the inside foyer is this lovely grey and white polka dot. Lol! How about a punch of red?!

Oh how I need a chandelier for here!

So this is what I'm most excited to give the ladies this year for Christmas. I have some furniture to assemble for it, but I'm now not sure it's the right size. I also plan to crochet some rugs and I'm debating runners for the stairs. 

I'm having way too much fun with this! It's a welcome escape! 

Wordless Wednesday

Christmas card hell. 

While the making and inscribing of these cards took sweet forever, the repetition of the word 'NO' killed me. I don't want to be a 'NO' mom, and I don't want to kill their artistic spirit. I do want to have semi-presentable cards that aren't covered in every sticker from the sticker box. 

Amazingly, having them sign their names to thirty+ family Christmas cards- cakewalk! We had an assembly line and were done in 20 minutes. The homemade cards, all six of them, a full hour! 

It's Begun

We kicked off the holiday season in our house this morning. I set up the tree in the ladies' room. Can you hear the screams of delight? 

I've pulled down the tub-o-decorations for the house and I hope we can finish the fall to Christmas transformation by Wednesday. I also want to get my cards in the mall and review my gift lists. Mark this down, this is the earliest and most out together I've ever been!! I doubt I will be so lucky in years to come so I'll revel in it now. 

Yay me!!

Hope everyone had a great weekend. I'm left contemplating the question: "Why do you even work?"

Ho hum.