The Force is Strong With This One

I had to tell you this next story, because it's a bit of a continuation of the last one.  

Thursday night I was giving the girls dinner and I decided to find out how things were going with Sonya and the boys at school, so I asked her.  

"Are the boys at school still paying Star Wars all the time, Sonya?"

She immediately brightened up and happily replied, "Nope!"

I found this odd so I asked her why not and she told me, "Because Liza and me told them not to."

Well, of course I had to have this clarified and I asked her a few follow up questions. She told me about her new friend Justin.  He decided he wanted to play with her and Liza one day. They were okay with that one condition. He had to stop playing Star Wars with all the other boys.  And, AND he had to tell ALL the other boys to stop playing Star Wars also.  According to my daughter he did both of those things.  

So my sweet little girl and her little friend have single handily put the kibosh on the boys at school playing something they loved.  See how young we start!  We girls just have this power over boys, even at the age of 4!  So I feel bad for the boys that they don't get to play their game anymore, but how stupid are they to listen to a girl they won't get to even THINK about dating for another 12 years.  At least by then she'll hopefully like Star Wars making this particular battle a moot one.

Help Me Obi-Wan, You're My Only Hope!

Here's another little Sonya story for you.

Last week one morning at breakfast, Sonya asked me if I knew about Star Wars.  Um hello??  Do I know about Star Wars?  I'm the Star Wars generation!  It's only my favorite trilogy of all time!  Of course I'm talking about the original trilogy and not the recent ones.  I like to pretend those don't exist.  So I told her, of course and that they were my favorite movies.  She proceeded to tell me the boys at school play Star Wars all the time, and did I know there was a princess in that movie?  Yes, of course I know there was a princess in that movie.  I wanted to BE Princess Leia so badly when I was a kid.  I made my mom do my hair like hers EVERY DAY for school.  She got quite good at it after a while.  Two braided buns was definitely the look then.  

Sonya was rather intrigued with the whole movie that the boys loved so much, especially if there was a princess in it.  I told her sometime I'd let her watch them, but not right now.  That is for a couple of reasons.  I don't really think she'd get much out of it at four years old.  Plus she has a bit of a scaredy cat syndrome.  She won't even watch most Disney movies.  The Sea Witch in The Little Mermaid terrifies her and the Cave of Wonders in Aladdin freaks her out.  So I doubt we'll be able to get past some of the aliens and monsters in Star Wars.  Not to mention the fighting and death.  No, as much as I'm excited to show my kids those movies, they will have to wait a bit longer.  After I told her someday she'd watch them she left to get ready for school and that was the last I heard of it. 

Then yesterday morning it came back up again.  Only it wasn't so happy this time.  

"The boys at school are always playing Star Wars!" She said, angrily now.

"What's wrong with that Sonya?" I asked.

"I don't like it."

"Why?"

"I just don't."  Then she said something that I will pretend I never heard.  "I HATE Star Wars!!"  Followed by this, "I don't CARE if there IS a princess in it!!"  

I was a combination of horrified and amused.  I mean how could MY child not like Star Wars? Then I reminded myself that she hasn't even seen it, but those boys at school will give her a jaded view, damn them!  Then I just wanted to laugh, because she was perfectly fine with liking Star Wars originally when she learned there was a princess in it.  Unfortunately, the boys playing Star Wars at recess started to annoy her so much that she rejected her very favorite of all things.  Princesses.  

So on the one hand I say kudos to the boys at school for bringing the princesses down a notch in her book.  However, if you've ruined Star Wars for my daughter, someday I will pull out my own lightsaber and kick some ass.  

Milk-It Does a Body Good

I  just thought this was too funny not to share with you all, even though it doesn't take place when I was trying to do something by myself.  

The girls usually eat dinner before Andy and I do, because Andy gets home so late.  I'll make them food and then us something after they go to bed.  This is the reason I am done with my day so late, but it's the way things are for now.  I always give the girls milk at dinner.  It's the first thing Lana will have.  She'll suck down a glass of milk before I've even put the food in front of her.  Sonya, on the other hand, I have to bribe with a pony and a princess castle before she'll even put the cup to her lips.  She does NOT like milk.  This is interesting, because it's how Andy and my tastes are.  I love milk especially when accompanied by a Tasty cake or some other treat.  Andy will only drink milk in his cereal.  Period.  

I encourage Sonya to drink it by telling her how good it is for her and how it will help to make her big and strong.  She never seems impressed though and is always asking me, "How much more do I have to drink?"  Then she holds up the cup to show the half a millimeter she's put in her body.    She's never happy when my answer is "more."  

One evening they were eating their dinner, and Sonya and I started our routine of "how much" and "more".  She stopped and said to me "I know, I know I have to drink it, because the most important things in life are family, friends and milk."

"What?"  I asked, holding the dish I was washing in midair.  I wasn't sure I heard her right.  She repeated it, 

"The most important things in life are family, friends and milk."  

"Where did you hear that?"  I asked.

"Daddy," she replied.  "That's what he says."

"Really?" I asked.  This seemed hypocritical coming from a guy who hates milk.  Although I guess he would say that about family and friends.  Later on that night I told him the story and said that Sonya had accredited him with the saying, asking him if it was true.  He laughed and told me he did tell her that family and friends were the most important things.  She had apparently  added the milk part all on her own. 

 I guess some of what I tell her does get through if she's ranking milk as the 3rd most important thing in life.  Unfortunately, it hasn't helped her to drink it any more willingly and we still do our routine every night, but at least now I know she knows it's for a good reason.  I mean it is one of the most important things in life, well, right after family and friends.  

Can't Shop With Them...

Recently, I hired a daytime babysitter to come over about once a week for a couple hours, so I can go to places like Target or the grocery store by myself.  This is something everyone told me to do when they found out I was pregnant with Georgia, and about to be dealing with 3 kids under the age of 4.  I really wanted to find someone then too, but it's not so easy to just go out and find a babysitter.  I don't want to just trust someone unknown person to take care of the three people who mean the most to me in my life.  Plus I was nursing Georgia and for those of you who don't know, all three of my girls were bottle protesters.  They would starve to death then take that horrible bottle!  It wasn't so easy to just leave her with someone who couldn't provide the "boobie juice".  Still, I figured at some point I would find a way to hire someone to help.  I found Tara through Lana's gymnastics class.  She's a really sweet 23 year old girl who has a ton of experience with kids, took college classes on kids and is CPR certified.  She may be more qualified to take care of my girls than I am. Plus they love her.  She is the nanny for one of the little boys in Lana's class, but she only works for the family until 2pm.  So, I had her start coming over every week for about two to three hours in the afternoon.  This has been a huge help for me to regain some of my sanity, as well as let me catch up on doctor's appointments.  And look!  I get to shop in peace once a week!  How 'bout it!

This past Thursday Tara got here at 2:30 and at 2:31 I was in the car, windows down, blasting the new Green Day out of my iPod.   Yes, I turn 17 when I leave the house alone.  It's just so freeing!  I decided I needed to make my weekly trek to Target.  I don't know what I need to buy there every week.  This was a question my sister, Beth, recently asked me.  Apparently, I need things badly enough that I HAVE to go there EVERY week.  I will curl up in a ball in the corner and cry if I miss a week of going there.  I'm pretty sure there are subliminal messages in those damn commercials.  Either way, that is where I was going and I was going ALONE!  Oh happy day!!  The grocery store is my number one place I hate taking all three of the girls, but Target is a close second.  

I parked and walked in by myself, which is sometimes a weird feeling, grabbed my cart and started to shop, alone.  Did I  mention that I was alone?  Just wanted to make sure I made that point clear.  Then something strange happened.  It was like my kid senses were heightened because I didn't have mine with me.  I started to hear all the other screaming toddlers and four year olds all around.  Now, I don't know if there are always that many there and I just don't hear them over the screams of my own, but there they were.  What the hell!  I was having my alone shopping peaceful time, and now here I was listening to everyone else's kid.  I felt bad for the moms and thought seriously about passing out Tara's number, because every mom should have time to shop alone at least once a week.  There was one woman near me who was struggling to get her toddler to just sit in the damn cart.  Lady, have I been there!  

I moved on with my shopping trying hard to block out the screams around me, and it worked for the most part.  Then I passed the seasonal section which was filled with back to school supplies.  This always annoyed me to no end as a kid.  Why did the stores HAVE to remind us right after 4th of July, that school was just around the corner?  We had only been out for a mere few weeks at that point, and there was still so much summer left.  As I was having this nostalgic thought and the sight of book bags and pencils took me back, it hit me.  OH MY GOD!!!  We are going to have to shop in THAT section this year.  Sonya, my daughter, my first born who can not be that old IS that old.  She will be in kindergarten this year.  I know it's just kindergarten, but still it's kindergarten at a big school where there are older bigger kids around.  Plus kindergarten isn't like it was when I was a kid.  It's more like first grade light now.  

All of a sudden I missed my girls and wished they were shopping with me.  I wouldn't get to do it with them forever or even much longer, because eventually they will all be in school.  My going places alone won't be such a novelty anymore.  I know there will be new challenges and craziness that will come along with school, but this time with just me and them is at the beginning of the end.  I still have Lana and Georgia, but they're not far behind Sonya and it'll happen before I know it.  And just to prove that point I happened to walk by the tiny baby clothes.  The clothes my littlest girl is no longer little enough for.  There will be nobody else that little again for me to take care of.   I don't know why it got to me, but it did and I turned down the rug aisle to look for a new rug for the girls room, and instead found myself overcome with sadness and started to cry-in Target. Nice.  My new baby time is really over now and although I have new things to look forward to with my girls, I am going to miss this time so much.  

I got myself together and started to turn my cart back out into the main aisle to go check out.  Just then one of the moms of the screaming toddlers walked by looking very frazzled and I thought, yeah it is going to be sad, but at least I'm not her right now.  Today I'm still excited to be shopping ALONE!

Thinking Outside the Juice Box

There are days when I bring on the non-peaceful times myself.  Like, when I shower for example.  Sometimes, I take a shower with the girls at the end of the day.  We have a huge walk- in shower, so it's easy to fit us all, and it kills four birds with one stone.  If I get to a point in the day where I haven't had a chance to shower, I'll just wait until after they eat dinner and we all get clean together.  It's a pain in the ass in some ways, easier in others.  On the one hand it's nice getting everyone cleaned and teeth brushed (yes they brush their teeth in the shower) in 20 minutes, as  opposed to what it usually takes when done individually.  You know, half the day.  But it also means that I have to wash myself quickly so I can move on to them, and get out and dry quickly to again, help them.  So even though it can be a bit of a hassle, some days it's worth it.  Plus, some days it provides me with stories to tell you.   

Monday was one of those days.  I didn't have a chance to shower before picking Sonya up from school.  Then I decided I needed to get some things out of the garage and attic, which would make me sweaty, so no point in doing it before then.  After that we all went outside to the little baby pool and played in the water, while catching whatever rays made it through the 50 spf.  It was a nice day.  

After the girls had dinner we all made the trek to the shower.  I gathered up the essentials needed- towels, toothbrushes, the kids soap and such.  Then I started our shower routine.  I quickly washed, while the girls played in the falling water.  Sonya can wash herself, for the most part. This prompted Lana to want to wash herself too.  Georgia just sat and watched us all, clutching one of the loofahs.  For some reason she loves those things and always wants to hold one while taking a bath or when Andy or I are in the shower. She will crawl over to the shower and point up at it, make the "uuuunnnn" noise, until you give it to her.  It's kinda cute, but a little strange.  I have no idea what's so fascinating about the loofah, but she loves it, so who am I to stand in the way of the loofah love?    

Lana wanted to "wash self", so I gave her some soap on her loofah and she started scrubbing her legs.  Then I told her to wash her tummy and she did.  Then I said, "Wash you boobies too, Lana."  

She looked at me kinda confused and said very matter of factly, "I don't has any boobies."

"Yes, you do," I told her.  "They're just small right now."

She looked down at herself and then pointed at me and said, "When I get bigga, I has big boobie juice yike mommy has big boobie juice."

"Yes, when you get bigger you will," I agreed with her. 

 Now you might be wondering about this "boobie juice" expression.  Well, I'm pretty sure that's just what Lana thinks boobs are called.  When I used to nurse Georgia, Lana would ask what Georgia was doing and I would tell her she was having her boobie juice.  In the past week she's made a couple comments about her chest or mine and she's referred to it as "boobie juice" every time.  However, I'm thinking this may become a problem when she gets older.  See, I'm pretty sure my kid is excited to get boobs someday, but not because they'll make her feel attractive or like a woman, but because she'll have her own personal supply of juice anytime she wants.  

Bad Parenting

If you've been reading this blog for a while now, you know I let my kids watch TV.  I'm not one of these parents who thinks that TV is evil and won't let my kids watch anything.  That would be hypocritical of me since I'm a TV junkie myself.  Always have been.  Plus if I ever want a moments peace, sometimes the TV has to go on.  I'd love to know how those parents who never allow their kids ANY television do it.  However, I do monitor what and how much they watch.  I try not to let them watch more than 3 shows a day. They only watch the kids shows on PBS or the cartoons on Disney channel.  They don't watch Nickelodeon, not because I don't think Dora isn't a great show, but I don't need them watching commercials and begging for more toys we don't need.  While Spongebob is a fun show for adults and older kids, I don't think it's so great for the age my kids are.   Sometimes they can watch a DVD, also very kid friendly, like Sesame Street or a Baby Einstein with an occasional Disney movie on a rainy or sick day.  So yes, I do try to be a good parent with what they watch.  That being stated...

A couple weeks ago Lana was in one of her moods. (What else is new?)  I had to go out to run some errands and my in-laws were here.  Lana was not wanting anyone but me, but I had to leave.  Even though she had watched a bit of TV that day, I let her go to my room to watch Curious George I had on the DVR in there.  This made her quiet and happy and made me able to leave.  When I returned she was playing and in a better mood, and I forgot all about the TV being on back in my bedroom.  

About an hour later I was in the midst of getting the girls ready for bed.  Georgia was in the tub and the older girls were supposed to come join her when they finished their food.  Instead they ran around the house and ended up in my bedroom.  After a couple minutes I realized they were being unusually quiet.  

"Girls?"  I inquired.  Nothing.

"GIRLS?" I asked louder this time.

"What?" Sonya asked.  

"What are you doing?"  She didn't answer me, so I asked again.  

"We washing somting," Lana informed me.

I quickly went through in my head   how they could be watching something in my room.  Then I remembered I never turned off the TV from earlier.  So now not only am I a bad parent for letting my kids watch so much TV, now I've wasted electricity.  I couldn't figure out what they were watching.  After the DVR show is over, if you don't do anything, it'll eventually go back to whatever channel you last left it on.  In our bedroom, however, we have the DVR set up to record shows. When it goes to record a show, it has to turn to that channel.  So I hesitantly asked, "What are you watching."

Sonya wasn't sure what to say, "Ummmmm-this!  Come here, look!"

I ran to the bedroom and there were Sonya and Lana sitting on my workout step (which hadn't yet been away from earlier) craning their necks up at the flat screen TV on our wall.  I followed their eyes to see what it was they were so into and realized, no biggie,  it was a cartoon.  WAIT!  It was a SOUTH PARK cartoon!  Now, I used to be a huge fan of South Park and will still occasionally watch it.  It's always made me laugh, but it's designed to make ME laugh, not my kids.  

"No, no, no, no, no, no!"  I frantically searched for the remote control to turn it off.  

"What, that was a good show!" Sonya protested.

"It's not for little girls," I told her.

Then she wanted to know why.  As I stood there with images of Kenny getting killed, Cartman's annoyed statement of "screw you guys I'm going home", and Mr. Hankey the Christmas poo, all I could think to tell her was, 

"Just because it's not, now go take your bath."

They both reluctantly got up from the step, realizing their entertainment was not coming back, and went to the bathroom.

I then turned the TV back on, cancelled the South Park season pass and added Sesame Street, Mickey, and Word World.  Then, for good measure, I found Dora and put that on there too. I figured it's better for them to see commercials then Mr. Hankey.  Well, at least until college. 

The Birthday Boy

Today is my husband's 35th birthday. I thought it appropriate if I wrote a bit about him in honor of his birthday, because without him there would be no blog. I know I said that about Georgia too, but without "The Sperminator" none of them would be here, so the credit should go mostly to him.

Andy and I met in college, but didn't start dating until a year after we graduated. It's a nice little story, but one I'll save for another time. After we got married we waited a couple years to start having kids and when Sonya came along in 2004, I realized just how good a daddy I had picked for my kids. One of the things I love most about him is how much he loves those girls. He's always helpful with them whenever he's here. They love him because he's the fun parent. The one who plays games with them and runs around outside with them. The one who will tell me they have too many sweets, but give them the extra scoop of ice cream anyway. He's the one who has a hard time telling his little girls, "no".

Every night, he'll call on his way home from work to see if they're awake. I will admit, I dread when they are still awake when he comes home. I dread it, because I get them all settled and into bed, just ready for sleep. At this point in the day, I'm done with them and need some time off. However, I understand that he doesn't get to see them all the time. He usually doesn't get home from work until 7:30 at the earliest. They get so excited when he walks through the door, and I'm pretty sure the neighbors down the street can here the shrieks of "DADDY!!" coming from our house at the end of the day. Then it's about half an hour of Daddy play time followed by another twenty minutes, at least, of trying to get them to where I had them before he walked in the door.

First they want to do "spinny". This is where he spins them around the room until they are all pretty "bizzy", as Lana puts it. Then after about the 5th time of that he tries to settle them down by singing songs with them. After that he leaves the room and we all hope for the best, but usually we hear from them, especially Lana, at least five or six more times. Still, they love seeing him and he them and for that I am willing to deal with them being awake just one hour more.

He also understands the work that goes into being a stay at home mom. He knows how busy I am all day with the kids and keeping the house running. He always encourages me to go out to dinner with the girls or for a massage on the weekend. If I don't feel like I can get to making dinner one night, he never gives me a hard time about it. Well not seriously anyway. He's always giving me a hard time about something, but that's because he's Andy and he jokes around alot. That is probably the first thing that made me fall in love with him. His sense of humor. He is, without a doubt the funniest, person I know. He jokes with the girls all the time too, even if some of the sarcasm is lost on them. Someday they'll get it and hopefully even pick up his some of his wit. My money is on Lana with that one.

I know this isn't exactly where he thought he would end up at 35. I didn't think it was where I would be either, but I'm starting to find that where we end up is where we should be. Without him I wouldn't have my three little inspirations. The reasons I'm writing again while getting to stay home and take care of them. Without Andy, I couldn't do any of that. I want to thank him for being such a great father and husband. I can't think of anyone else I would want to raise these three girls with. There is nothing I wouldn't do for him, because I love him, but also because I know there is nothing he wouldn't do for me. Happy Birthday Baby!