Queen of Hearts

Now that we have 4 children, sometimes people ask how that is going--mainly middle-aged women who remember having 4 very young kids or young moms like me who have 1 or 2 kids. I haven't come up with a good answer yet, but I think part of the answer is this: 4 kids 5 and under means I have had to re-visit all my expectations of myself, especially regarding the cleanliness of my home. Like today. Monday is the day I clean my house. But today I had a 2-month well-check appointment for Madeleine right in the middle of my morning. [11 lb 10 oz (75th percentile); 23.5 in (85th percentile)] So Avery, Madeleine and I got ready for that, went and when we came home, I decided that in the remaining hour I had before I picked up Warren and Abigail from school, that Avery and I would just hang out together reading the books she kept bringing to me and swinging on the porch swing. So the house stayed crazy. I planned to clean it when the kids napped, but Madeleine had rough afternoon--crying even when I held her--and the only way I could get her calm and napping was to have her lay on my chest. So naturally, I took a nap, too. So the house stayed messy. Tonight we made yummy french toast for dinner, cleaned that up and moved on to family night. Then we took the kids on a stroller ride around the neighborhood, even stopping at my Aunt Julie's house to "carol" to her. When we got home, the kids were happy and the house was still a wreck. I think now that I have 4 kids, I am starting to believe all the sweet old ladies who tell me, "Enjoy it while they are little--they grow up so fast," or some other variation of that sentiment. That thought has entered my mind a lot lately as I make the little decisions that make up my day and create a life. So I may not be the queen of any castle, but I'm working on being the queen of their hearts.
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Warren Lost a Tooth!

Warren got a real badge of honor in his eyes this morning: he lost his first tooth. He's been pondering over it for a few weeks now, telling me how he was "the only" kindergartener in his class who hadn't lost a tooth. Turns out, "only" meant that out of 7, 3 kids had already lost teeth. Either way, it is a big deal for him. He's so excited for Mom-tooth-fairy money, despite the fact that the weekly allowance he'll also get today exceeds that amount. I guess money just isn't as exciting if you don't "earn" it--even if earning it means pulling out your own tooth.

MelindaJennings.com

My mother-in-law is an artist. Go check out her website--it will make you smile just looking at the pictures pan across the screen. MelindaJennings.com

The first picture is my family last July in front of a door at Da Vinci's home in Amboise, France. The second is a painting in progress that Melinda did the year before, based on a photo she took while she was there.

Earth Day

I have a new take on Earth Day this year, touted as a day to take better care of the world, or the environment. Sometimes this causes me a lot of stress. I am one who doesn't buy disposable dishes, won't run the dishwasher unless it is entirely full, turns off the water as I wash my hands and often gets stressed out if my kids play in the hose. I fret and feel guilty about driving walkable distances for convenience, or if my kids flip the lights on and off repeatedly, leave the water running for even a short time or do something that seems to "waste [water, electricity, gas]." I used to use a manually-powered lawnmower, you know, the kind with no motor except you?
While my intentions are good, the outcome isn't always admirable. Usually I am frustrated and angry and my kids are bummed. So this year I am vowing to take care of my environment, my world. If it helps me keep my kitchen clean to run the dishwasher, I am going to run it. If my kids leave the water running, I'm not going to get upset. And I'm going to let my kids play in the hose and run in the sprinkler this summer.
I'll still use cloth diapers, and my recycling bin will still be more full each week than my trash. I'll still water my flowers out front with my dishwater--but mainly because it reminds me to do it, not because I'm saving a few gallons of water. I still will combine errands in the car or walk--but mainly because it saves me time or keeps me healthier. Most of the kids drawings will still be done on paper that has already been printed on the other side. But I'm not going to try to micro-manage the world anymore. It leaves me feeling helpless in the face of forces that I largely cannot control. Instead I'll manage my world--a place where my actions do have a big impact.

Abigail drew this during church on Sunday. She explained it was "that day in France when it rained and we were at the park with so many puddles and we had to under the slide to get out of it." Good memory. I'm sure Natalie will never forget that day either...

Happy Madeleine at 8 weeks.

Love for Madeleine

I have strep throat. I'm almost over it, thanks to Walgreen Take Care Clinic, antibiotics and lots of sleeping in--thanks Andy. The whole experience leaves me feeling a little behind on life (hence, a few pre-dated blog entries). I love fresh starts, though, and even getting over being sick seems like a fresh start. But I am worried about Madeleine. I don't think she is sick, but I wonder if my medicine is bothering her. My usually cheerful and delighted baby is sad, sad, sad. She started sleeping through the night 3 nights ago, but now I am concerned she is not stimulating enough milk production. Today she nursed every 1.5 to 2 hours, so hopefully that helps. Otherwise I'm going to do the unthinkable and wake myself up just to pump in the middle of the night. Blech. That sounds as awful as it is. So keep little Madeleine Rose in your prayers. Not only did I have strep throat, but my kids school had an outbreak of the chicken pox. Both W & A had that vaccine, but they can still get it, especially since one of the kids we carpool with had them. I know chicken pox are nasty, but I don't mind if my kids get them, but I do mind if my newborn gets them. That is bad news. She'll probably be fine on all accounts, but still, it's on my mind.

Life Lessons

Tonight we went to visit Carver, Grandma Lindy's dog. Carver is 16 years old in people years. He is old. He is sick. And he is a good friend to my mother-in-law. This afternoon I shared with Warren that Carver might be dying soon, that it had almost happened today. Warren was very sad. In a child-like display of emotion, he cried out, "It won't even be fun to be there anymore!" (I reminded him of video games and he stopped saying that). But he also showed some very thoughtful sorrow when he thought of Diesel, another family dog, and how "sad Diesel will be without Carver." And of course he was sad for his Grandma Lindy. So we arranged a visit with Carver. It started out with Lindy and Warren crying in each other's arms on the couch, but ended in smiles and laughter as Warren heard numerous tales of Carver's puppy days recounted. Lindy was touched by Warren's compassion and sensitivity, and Warren was lifted by the strength that comes from good company and humor. And we all believe, that "all dogs go to Heaven."

Easter Saturday

Saturday before Easter is the day for coloring eggs, hiding and hunting for eggs, and sugar highs. Usually we do the hunt in our gynormous backyard, but because of the rain--and being a relatively new, stressed-out mother of 4--we had it at my parents'. This is great because their grass is lovely and green. Mine vacillates between dead and overrun with clover and weeds, so I have them to thank for the pictures--and Andy's cell phone. I forgot our camera. The funniest story of the event actually happened Monday, after Easter. Warren and Abigail both wanted a hard-boiled Easter egg in their lunch at school. So I packed them each one and then got the rest of the story from their teacher. She was seated next to Warren at lunch and noticed him happily eating his egg, when she heard shock and dismay from another table. She looked over to see stunned Abigail, who had just cracked a raw Easter egg onto her plate! I asked my mom about it and she said some of the hard-boiled and raw eggs got mixed up and so we dyed both. Luckily Abigail is resilient.

Shameless Promoting

I'm teaching a music class for kids ages 4-6 starting August. Tuesday at 9:15 am and 4:00 pm I am teaching free sample classes for kids and their parents. If you want to come, please comment here and let me know which time! If you have a friend who might be interested, please put them in contact with me. Thanks!

Little Girls

The only way I've found to get Avery to sit for the time it takes to do her hair--which isn't long--is to let her shave with Andy's electric razor. See how well it works?
Every day I practice violin with Abigail, but it just wasn't possible on Thursday, so I had Andy do it. Abigail gave him a lesson and taught him everything he needed to know. Pretty cute. I've got to remember how well kids respond when they get to be the teacher.

QT for Cuties

It was one of those moments where I wish I had a camera phone. (I know, welcome to the 21st century. Warren says, "So mom, your phone is not that great?") Warren treated his sisters to slushies at QT. Avery got one because she is still potty-trained. Abigail got one because Avery got one--and she didn't wet the bed last night. It was so cute that Warren has been committed to this for several days; he just needed to get me to take them there! When we pulled up, Avery started cheering, and inside, she confidently pointed the way and said knowingly, "This way." They loved their treats. I spent a lot of time convincing Warren that buying one 44 oz. drink for $1.29 and dividing it into cups for the girls was a better deal than paying for two 22 oz. drinks at $1.09 each. (Plus, none of the kids has ever come close to finishing a 22 oz. drink) In the end, he decided that was smart and did it. Sometimes I know I am too emotionally invested in how Warren spends his allowance money. I should just be glad that he is so generous and wants to buy everyone a drink and that he is not buying "stuff" that will take up room at our house.

We had the funniest conversation at dinner last night. Warren and Abigail both attend the same Montessori school. In Montessori, children choose their own work throughout the day and since there is just one of each "work," only one child does it at time, except when they work with a friend. Each child receives each lesson for each work, one at a time, and at different ages, depending on their readiness for the skill.
Warren shared with us how he had "hid a work at school that I didn't want to do for a while."

I asked, suspiciously, "Are you allowed to do that?"

He replied with a very honest look on his face, "Yes. [pause] Can you do that at normal school?"

"No, when you get work at normal school, everyone is supposed to do it right then."

With a shocked look of incredulity Warren exclaimed, "Everyone is supposed to do the same thing at the same time?"

"Yes."

"Oh, that's not a very fun way. [pause] Mom, who chooses what lesson everyone gets?"

"The teacher chooses what lesson everyone gets, and they all get it at the same time."

"That doesn't sound fun at all."

Trying to reinforce some positive behavior I followed up with, "I'm glad you go to a school where they trust you to make good choices."

Abigail, who had been listening intently the whole time concluded seriously, "At normal school, they trust you to make bad choices."
Funny. And insightful for me. Sometimes I think I trust my children to "make bad choices." Maybe I shouldn't have worried about Warren saving $1 on the drinks. Or maybe there is a way to find out if they have said their morning prayers without asking, "Have you prayed already?" as if they hadn't. Or maybe I could give the benefit of the doubt when a child is really slow to answer or respond, and just really nicely ask again--especially if that child is Warren, who is often lost in his own thoughts or very focused on whatever he is doing. I suppose I don't answer questions very well either, when I am focused on something else. Something to think about for me.