The Recorder

I like to believe I'm more of a hands-off let them learn from the natural consequences kind of mom than a helicopter parent. For example when Hannah wanted to put a chair on top of a step stool (on uneven ground!) in order to climb a tree I tried to explain to her that it was a bad idea...once. Then when she wasn't convinced by my reasoning I sat back and watched as she attempted to climb the tree with the previously mentioned step stool and chair. I watched as she stumbled and fell and landed on her face. (She sustained no major injuries.) She hasn't attempted stacking objects to assist her climbing since. Lesson learned. And when the girls did not heed my advice to bring ALL their toys in from the backyard (because everything molds or rusts here) I let their purse sit outside for a few days before bringing it inside myself. I showed them the mold and tossed it in the garbage. Lesson learned. 

Thursday when Isaiah informed me at 7:10 AM that he needed a recorder for music class that same day and oh-by-the-way music is at 9 AM my first instinct was to say "Sorry kid I can't magically produce a recorder for you with that short of notice. But I can get it by music class next week." But I didn't. Against my better judgement I turned to google and Facebook in search of a recorder. I asked on a local buy-sell-trade mom site if anyone had a recorder or knew where to find one. Unfortunately I came to the same conclusion from these sources: they can be purchased at the music store that opens at 9 AM. I was ready to call my search quits when another residency mom messaged me with this insider tip: dollar stores sell recorders. I called my local dollar store to confirm this little known fact. It was in fact true! I grabbed my purse and a sharpie marker and left my other three children in my parents' capable hands and was off on a recorder hunt by 8 AM! By 8:45 AM I had delivered the cheapest most obnoxiously neon orange recorder with Isaiah's name scribbled on the side of it to his school's office. I was equal parts proud of my accomplishment and embarrassed (because I'm fully aware that is exactly the type of recorder the music teacher does not want in his class). I decided a dollar store recorder was better than no recorder. 

A couple hours later the kids and I returned to Isaiah's school to surprise him with a picnic lunch. (And by "picnic" I mean Little Cesar's hot & ready pizza.) A lunch surprise I had planned prior to the recorder situation. Isaiah was ecstatic to see us and the pizza! (Side note: I love that his face still lights up as a fourth grader when he sees me and his siblings at his school). I of course asked about the recorder and music class. Isaiah was quick to tell me that he thought the orange color was cool but the bottom part is too lose and falls off easily. You get what you pay for kid. Sorry. And then he told me that they had a substitute music teacher and did NOT play their recorders today!! 

And in that comically infuriating moment I decided I needed to go back to being my more laid back let-the-cookie-crumble-how-it-will kind of mom. This helicopter parenting is too exhausting for me. 

Little laughs lately

We had to celebrate Levi again last night with even more (leftover) turtle cake. It would be a shame to not celebrate him on his actual birthday, right? Levi was of course very excited for more cake. And he seemed to have grasped the birthday party concept because he kept saying, "People coming. Turtle cake." I hated to crush his little dreams by telling him that no people were coming. But thankfully blowing out the birthday candle seemed like a sufficient consolation for our birthday boy:)

Last night as I was giving the girls their bedtime kisses and tucking them in one more time (because their daddy had already tucked them in for real) I mentioned to Charlotte that we need to make a few changes to our homeschooling. {Long story short: we've been cramming it ALL into the afternoons and it's left us both frustrated.} We talked about the new plan which included independent work time in the morning and setting goals:) At this point Hannah decided to join our conversation by informing us she has goals too! "Baby dolls. Paper airplanes. Barbie dolls." Those are her goals. Oh to be four! What fun goals. 

This morning (despite actually going to bed at a decent time) I was running late getting Isaiah to the bus stop. So late in fact that I skipped our neighborhood bus stop and drove directly to the next stop in the next neighborhood. And we were still late! Pulling up as kids were already loading onto the bus! Isaiah was quick to inform me, "Don't worry mom I can run fast!"  Bless his little heart. He's been running to catch buses and into school to beat the bell for years...all because his mom can't get her act together. But he's never once complained. And I love him for it! {I don't know what we are planning on doing next year for school for the kids but if it involves a non-homeschooling option for all of them I'm in trouble! The meme that says, "I'm not a morning bird. I'm not a night owl. I'm some sort of perpetually exhausted pigeon!" is ME!} 

The other day my dad brought in the mail and informed Charlotte that there was a letter for her. And then right before he handed it over he noticed that it was addressed to Charlotte Rose. There is no Charlotte Rose in this house. We have a Charlotte Esme. Hannah Rose is her little sister. So close. But not quite right. It made me chuckle a little. Then when I saw WHO the letter was from it made me laugh out loud because it came from a program Joe had registered Charlotte for...as Charlotte Rose! Ha. Better luck next time Joe:)

Two.

My baby is two.

(Well technically he will be two in a couple hours but we celebrated tonight with friends AND he wore the shirt. So basically its official. He's a toddler. My baby isn't a baby anymore. And I'm not sure I'm okay with that. But that's another post for another day.)

He was so stinkin' cute tonight! He was loving all the attention while the crowd sang "Happy Birthday" to him. And then getting to blow out the candle...oh my goodness he thought that was THE BEST THING EVER! And his daddy (who is finally done with trauma! Yippee!) indulged him by re-lighting it and letting him blow it out over and over and over and over and over again. Other highlights of Levi's big night include eating the turtle's candy eyeballs (he thought that was great!), opening presents (lots of turtles), and just being surrounded by a house full of people who love him. Which is pretty much the best feeling. All in all I'd say his "this in not a birthday party" birthday party was a big success! And since tomorrow is his actual birthday we get to celebrate all over again in the morning!!!

P.S. While I do my fair share of complaining about residency I sure am lucky to have all these wonderful people in my life. They love me and my kids so well. Thank you friends for coming and eating cake and ice cream with us.

P.P.S. Levi's birth story can be found HERE. And his first birthday HERE. 

Life with THIS toddler

The other day Joe came home from work and discovered our toilet paper roll haphazardly re-rolled next to our toilet in the master bathroom. He turned to me and asked how that happened. I just stood there and stared at him...I had no words. It was as if he hasn't been living in the same mad house run by tiny people as I have for the last decade. Because toddlers are a special kind of crazy and they will destroy your house faster than you can clean it up.  I did eventually kindly answer Joe with a simple "Levi". 

Levi the one that rules the roost at the moment with his endless adorable commands for all of his family members. "No do that" (in reference to diaper changes). "Mommy walk here." "No Hannah Wose!" "Cer-weal. Snack. Cer-weal!" "Put boots on!" "Sit down." "This one. This book!" "Magnatiles. Build house. Two houses. Magnatiles!"  And we are all wrapped around  his little finger and almost always follow his commands. This kid has got it made as the baby of the family. I mean if I really think about it his demands for two blankets, three doggy stuffed animals, two pillow pets, his light up musical monkey, dog lovey, AND ice water for nap and bedtime might be just a tad out of hand. Oh and the fact that he makes me carry each of these items out of his crib with him when he wakes up (and I do it!) is completely ridiculous.

 

And the whole situation is made even more ridiculous by this matrix-like maze Isaiah set up in the boys' room. Army crawling is my only option to the crib. So yup, I'm pretty sure unrolled and re-rolled toilet paper is the least of my concerns. 

Co-parents

One of the things that has made this year of residency easier for me is the fact that I've been less lonely this year. And that's not because my husband is around more - because he hasn't been - he's actually been around less. Second year is notoriously more demanding for his residency program and that has proven true this year. And don't even get me started on the fact that his 9 hour shifts turned into 12 hour shifts this summer (because they are changing which hospitals they cover). Same number of shifts. More hours. Fun times. Ok. That was a tangent. The reason I've been less lonely is because I've had a couple ladies step in and help me. Spending time with me and the kids. They just jump in and do what we are doing. Nothing exciting. Just regular life stuff. Homeschooling. And field trips. And trick or treating. Even just stopping by and hanging out with us randomly throughout the week. They have stepped in and jumped right into my busy chaotic make-you-want-to-pull-your-hair-out (at times) life. They have physically and emotionally helped me with my children in more ways than I can count. And for that reason I often refer to them as my "co-parents". It's obviously not the same as having my children's actual co-parent around but it's a very close second! I'm so very thankful for their presence in our home and in our lives this year. I'm a happier, healthier mom because of them! And my kids adore both of them as well.  

 

In addition to having these amazing "co-parents" this year, we've been blessed with more families in the residency program. Just having other moms and kids to hang out with that understand has been HUGE for me and my kids this year. And as if all of that wasn't enough, Joe and I have been spoiled a couple times this past fall by residency people babysitting our kids for FREE so we could go on dates. DATES! We have gone on 3 actual dates in the last 3 months. That is completely unheard of for us and AMAZING!!! 

So much for me being the helpful person to other residency people...I think they have helped me WAY more than I've helped any of them.