Day glow pink....

If you've been following my blog, you'd know by now that I have a very creative 3yr old with an incredibly active imagination! The days of her stripping, pulling her poopie diaper off and finger painting on the wall are gone. The bedroom has been emptied of anything that she could possibly have fun with during naptime. The lamp has been removed, so she can't wear the lampshade on her head as she dances around the room. The toy bin is gone, so she can not line up her dolls and stuffed animals, then cover them with band aids. Most of the art has been removed from the walls, so she can't rearrange it.

So what is left for her to do doing during naptime? Sleep, I would think, but now who am I kidding! So now really what is there left to do???? Well, to take apart her bed, of course and "paint" the walls with Vaseline! As I stared in wonderment at her room. I keep thinking how could this happen? I had removed everything that I thought she could get! The only thing I had left in the medicine closet of her bathroom was a small jar of Vaseline. A small jar of goo, aka Vaseline, would be way too appealing for my daughter. And now how did she reach the medicine cabinet? Well, she had opened each drawer of the bathroom vanity to create her own steps!

She explained to me that she was "cleaning" and the furniture needed to be polished. As I assessed the situation I see that she had "polished" the entire bed, 1/2 the wall, her bedding, and the mirrored closet doors. Yes, she was a busy bee! To top it off she pulled out the decorative flowers on her bed that covered the screws that hold her bed together. I am positive if she had been able to rig something together to get the screws out, she would have!

After all said and done the room is back to normal. It did take several washings to remove all of the Vaseline from the linens. The only hint left from the crime scene is the shiny patch of paint on the wall that now looks like a day glow pink!

Go Daddy!

This evening, when my husband arrived home at 5pm, he surprised me by saying that he had made an appointment for a one and a half hour massage at 6pm and that I should take it. Well, it didn't take me long to grab my keys and run out the door! Then it dawned on me that he would have all three kids. With no dinner made, all three kids to feed and needing to put down for bed, I retreated back into the house. He said he could handle it, he'd figure it all out and I should relax and enjoy the massage. What a guy!!!! Well when I returned home at 7:40pm, the house was quiet. Could this be? Did he do it? As I tip toed up the stairs, I heard him and my 3 yr old daughter singing soft lullabies. There she was tucked neatly in her bed, my husband in the rocking chair burping a baby and a satisfied smile on his face. Yes, two down, one to go! As I fed my other son, I thought about what a great job my husband did. Not only did he make a shrimp and linguine dinner, he managed to get two bottles made, 2 kids fed and tucked in. As I finished feeding the last baby...time check 7:55pm, all I could think of was "Go Daddy, go"!!!

My very own economic stimulus plan.

Since the twins have been born, it seems as if I can't stop spending. I would love to say that I am treating myself to mani/pedi's and new clothes or splurging on my daughter or the boys, but that is not where the money is going. It is unbelievable to me how many times I order diapers, formula and wipes. Every time I think I have enough, it turn out it's not. So diapers.com comes to the rescue. I love that website, because it's free shipping and no tax! Even though I am embarrassed that the driver is at my door once a week, it beats me having to lug all that stuff from the store. So I guess eventually I will be able to cut down on spending, but at this point at least I am doing my part to stimulate the economy!

I'll bring the drinks?!?!

Sometime I wonder what goes through my daughter's mind. I was at Mommy & Me Spanish class arranging a playdate for her. As I was finalizing the plans, the other little girl looked at me and said "yay, I am going to have a party". Before I could respond my daughter piped up and said "I'll bring the drinks". Yes, I am in trouble!

Just too smart...

As I was playing with my daughter and the twins were in their cribs for the evening, I heard one of the baby's crying. My daughter looked up at me and said "don't you know if you leave them alone, they'll cry for a minute and then they'll stop"! I stopped in my tracks and looked at her, when she continued and said "really mom, you just fed & changed them, they'll be fine". Now when did my 3 year old get so smart?

I can't let go....

Yesterday my daughter's Fall Preschool tuition bill arrived. I think a majority of Mom's out there would be jumping for joy with the prospect of having 3-5hours of free time. I on the other hand, burst into tears of the reality of "missing" my daughter for that long. As I read the list of supplies that my daughter would need, I felt a lump in my throat and the tears started rolling. My husband looked at me with pity and I started to tell him all the reasons my daughter did not need to go to school. We reached a compromise that she would go in the fall and it she didn't like it I could pull her out. I was overcome with relief...but what if she likes it???? What will I do!! I know I have the twins but she's still my baby:(

She's gonna blow!

Once again, my life has become a world of poop & pee. If I am not changing one of my sons diapers or getting peed on by them, I am running after my daughter to make sure she has used the potty. My daughter & I have come a long way. She has finally gotten over her strip teases, where she totally disrobes, with a diaper full of poo, smeared all over every inch of her bed, walls and herself. Gone is the duct taped diapers secured on her with the footed pajamas placed on backwards and the feet cut off. We have evolved to nighttime pull ups and no tape. The unfortunate side is, that we still have "poopy issues". The main issue is, that she typically poops while she is sleeping within the first hour of being in bed. So as each day passes with out a poop, the bedtime ritual becomes more of a fear. Is this it the night she is going to blow! My husband & I both fear the "big one" and unfortunaltely tonight was the night. After my husband & I both fed, burped & changed the boys we were both anxiously awaiting an early evening of sleep, but as we heard the voice of my daughter yelling from her room, the fanatasy of sleep quickly diminished. So it was back to changing and bathing her and washing the crib sheets. As we worked together we realized that it was almost time to feed the twins again. So yes, my life is all about poop & pee...it should end in a few years, right?!?

I did it!

So it's day 16 since the twins were born and today was the day I decided to venture out with all three kids on my own. Over the weekend we had gone to the beach & the park as a family, so I new it could be done...but I had my husband with me. So as the alarm clock went off at 6am, I raced through a shower, fed, changed and burped the twins, and got my daughter out of bed. I helped my daughter wash her face, brush her teeth, brushed her hair, got her dressed and fed her. We were able to accomplish all this by 9:15am. As I piled each one into the car, we raced off to our Mommy & Me Spanish class. Class started at 9:30am. Of course we were not on time and we arrived 15 minutes late, but we got there! The key to my success was to just go on "auto pilot". I knew if I started to really think about the logistics and everything that could go wrong, I would never leave the house. I am amazed that we made it to and from without any tears, especially mine! So now I have the confidence I need to keep going. Today was school, tomorrow the grocery store!?1?

It's hard to trust just anyone...

It is so hard to trust a stranger with watching my daughter. My husband & I don't live near any family, so we have always had to depend on sitters if we wanted a date night, attend a business function, or just some basic down time. I admire the few who are able to call a new sitter right off the bat, and then walk right out the door without a second thought. I, myself can't do that. I am overprotected, miss my daughter desperately, even if I am only in the room down the hall and my husband is certain, that the sitter will sell our beautiful daughter to the highest bidder. Yes, we have issues. I am so fortunate to have a wonderful sitter, who is an LVN, amazing with my daughter and accepts that I text her every 30 minutes to see how "my baby" is doing. But I know we should have a few back ups. Now that the twins will be arriving shortly, plus keeping my daughter busy, I am beginning to interview sitters, again.

The scary thing is, that no matter how well you screen someone, how many references you check, it is still ultimately a leap of faith. I would hope that everyone out there wants the best for a child, and would do anything with the baby/child's best interest at heart. Unfortunately we've all heard stories where that is not quite the case. So what should one do? I don't quite know, but I guess the best we can do is screen as vigilantly as we can. Here are a few tips that I have found helpful when looking for a babysitter or nanny:

-Hire babysitters who are knowledgeable about first aid
and CPR.
-Always ask for and validate references. Check the experience of the babysitter. What age groups did the person work with? How much time?
-Babysitters with professional training in nursing or childcare are most preferable.
-Interview the sitter to check for sense of responsibility, temperament, understanding of children, common sense, ability to understand and follow instructions, etc.
-See how your baby reacts to the sitter. Even though a sitter may sound great on paper...it all comes down to chemistry.

Feel free to download a copy of my " Questions for Babysitters". Some of the questions are tough, but I figure that if it doesn't scare or intimidate the sitter, then she has passed the first step!
http://www.babyproductreviews.net/pdf/Questions_for_Babysitters.pdf

How does she do it?

I just can’t figure it out, but somehow my daughter has figured out how to unzip the pajamas that I have put on her. I know this may not seem like anything extraordinary, but you have to recognize that, the pajamas have the feet cut off, and are place on her backwards. Why do I do this…well, you can read an earlier blog, but basically she likes to strip off her clothes, take off her poopy diaper and then toss it around the room as well as paint the wall with the filth. She is potty trained now, but she has the tendency to poop in her sleep. So the potty training really doesn’t help. So now I just don’t know what to do. The pajamas on backwards, with her diaper taped on was working, up until today. So now what? As I hover outside her door, smelling it to see if she’s gone and my eyes are glued to the video monitor …the fear is back! At this point I just don’t know what to do. Any suggestions?

I thought I could, but I can't...

I woke up this morning by horrible screams coming from my daughter’s bedroom. As I waddled down the hall as fast as I could, I discovered that my daughter was in the thick of a very bad nightmare. As I tired to console her, she just kept shaking her head saying “No, no” when suddenly her eyes fluttered open and she looked up widely at me a said “I want pancakes”! So at 6:30am we were off. Once her belly was full and she was snuggled in nicely on the family room couch, I attempted to something I have never done while she has been awake. I was going to take a shower. Some may think this is strange, that at 2 1/2 years into the game I have never taken a shower while she has been up. Yes, it may seem odd. I get up before she does and prepare for the day. You have to understand that my daughter loves to have fun…or as some may say get into trouble when my back is turned. This is the girl, who scales the staircase, dangles from the chandelier & pretends she is surfing off the back of the reclining chair. So yes, I typically don’t take my eyes off of her for very long. As I tuned the TV to Sesame Street, I was in awe that she suddenly went into a trance like state. It was a bittersweet moment. All this time I had limited her TV viewing because I didn’t want her to become a couch potato, but yet at the same time I wanted just 15 minutes of “me time”. Could this be…that she actually would get sucked into the horrible TV and just sit and watch? As I let out a sigh of relief, I asked if she wanted to lie in my bed while I shower. She looked up at me, rolled her eyes and with the flick of her little hand said “mommy, go already”. So I hoped in the shower and within less them 4 minutes, her head pops into the shower and states, that she needed to give Chi Chi, her battery operated toy puppy a bath. I knew this would not be good. Just as fast as the shower began, it was coming to a quick end. Full of soap and bubbles I hoped out, to find the tub getting filled with hot water and Chi Chi half submerged in the water. As I looked around the bathroom, I discovered that every towel was now on the floor, because she was cleaning, and the bag of cotton balls were thrown everywhere. Apparently her & Chi Chi had a “snowball fight” and she was hiding in the laundry basket. So what it comes down to, is that I thought I could but I just can’t…. leave her alone yet!

Aren’t you glad that you are not having 8?

Lately, wherever I go, people ask when am I due. Yes, I am rather large so my typical response is, “I’m having twins”. The funny thing is, the conversation inevitably turns to, “Aren’t you glad it’s not 8?” or, “What's your thoughts on the Octomom?”. I am like most people, who don’t quite get it. As a mom of a 2-1/2 year old, and expecting twins, there are times I feel overwhelmed with how I can manage. Not only manage but find the balance between the newborns, continue to make my daughter feel special and not neglect her. So it is hard for me to imagine how someone with no spouse can possibly find balance for all 14. From what I’ve heard, the Octomom, Nadya Suleman, who has no job or income, plans to survive on student loans and food stamps. Many say she may be depending on a huge book or television deal or the kindness of strangers and corporations. I find it hard to imagine that someone could actually depend on the kindness of strangers and corporations, especially with such a backlash against her. But as I was waiting in line at the paint store, a woman turned around and asked when I was due. I gave my typical response and of course the Octomom came up, but this time with a surprising point of view. This woman felt that Nadya Suleman is a blessing to the world, and has brought 8 more gifts to the universe. She & her husband were even planning on sending $5,000 to Ms. Suleman. So, I guess that’s the great thing about this world; we don’t quite have to agree with everything or necessarily understand what goes on in people’s minds, but there is always someone who is willing to lend a hand or a perspective. I came across this Squidoo Lens that pretty much sums it up:
http://www.squidoo.com/peopleshouldhavealicensetohavechildren