The boys' bathroom

I know it's REALLY overdue for a scrub when I'm too scared to go in it and start changing E'a diaper on the floor of his room instead. Two boys equals a very scary toilet area. It's only going to get worse!

-Gretchen
(Please forgive any bad auto-corrections that I haven't caught using this "smart" device.)

School friends

Avi had such a good day today and when I asked him at tuck-in just now what was his favorite part of the day he said, "school!" with enough exuberance to make him jump all the way up in the bed. And then without any additional probing he added, "playing with Sam outside!"
It was really sweet. This morning he started to resist going to school because it wasn't a school day for Nina, but he rallied. And while it's great that he and Nina are so tight, I think it's good that they only go to school three of their four days together. It's good for him to not be so dependent on one particular friend.

Watchout for underage wizards

Story time

For the record, Avi and I had a good story time yesterday when he wasn't at school, and I have promised myself we'll do the same tomorrow when his school is closed.
And, my posting was all about my self-reflection if my experience during the day time and has nothing to do with the kind of quality experieces he has with Cary at bedtime, lest I discount that.

"How many times..."

Kids hate nagging, but we parents hate it just as much. It's beyond me what it will take to convince them of certain things. From yelling and punitive discipline to reward systems, calm words, rational conversations and logical consequences, nothing seems to work. The eldest cannot seem to learn to put his clothes away before going to bed. Strewn all over the floor is his approach. It's not like there isn't an expectation and consistent responses. So I go to read him a story tonight and see the day's clothes littered all over, and I calmly point out what I see and tell him I'm going to close the door and open it again in one minute and if he's ready for a story he'll get one, and if not, it's too late. I do so, and shortly thereafter he opens the door and says "done." Looks good I say, seeing that the underwear and socks and the first outfit of the day are out of sight. Then I spot the slacks and button-down shirt on the wicker basket under his newly-acquired Halloween costume. I calmly say he can't leave those things sitting out for the next 10 days. I tell him to pick up the hanger on the floor and use it to hang up the shirt. He goes to do so and when he opens the closet I see all the previous offenders on the closet floor. I'm tired of yelling about this. I have come unglued too many times (I have also had calm conversations about expectations many times too), but nothing seems to work. I explained AGAIN that that isn't okay. Not only is it lazy, but it's also deceitful. It's a kInd of lying, because he knows I am assuming he had done it properly. I didn't lecture. I said my piece in a sentence and then told him he list his story. What do you want to bet it will still happen again? Will someone please tell me why this is so hard and what is the magic solution?

Where do the hours go?

I'm currently staying at home with my children; some would say I'm a SAHM. Ugh, how I squirm with discomfort under that label. Not that I have any problem whatsoever with other stay-at-home-moms. How great, how lucky for them, the world needs some, etc. I just struggle with the notion of myself in that role and that role only. Wasn't I supposed to be doing something more significant? Something affecting the lives of more than just three or four (depending on who you count) people? And then what about the fact that I feel like I'm not even doing it right. Sure I've incorporated a new point system in the last few weeks, made some posters with behavioral does and don'ts to put up around the house and even managed to wipe the weeks' worth (yes that apostrophe is appropriately placed) toothpaste off the boys' bathroom counter and sink and mirror this evening, but then I realize I haven't been reading to them at all during the day. Yes, we've made it to the library and no, they haven't been watching hardly any TV (thanks in a large part to Grandpa Robert's new clubhouse he built for them), but come on, how hard is it to read a book each day? Poor middle child is getting screwed out of the same literature-rich routine that #1 had. Probably why number one is reading five chapter books at once right now, all well above grade level. God only know what will happen to the little guy. But it IS hard, believe it or not. It's a constant fast-paced dance all day just to get from one task to the next. Get 'em up, get 'em dressed, get 'em out the door at two different times to different schools, naptime for E, lunch for E (I've heard of moms reading tightly babies in the highchair; I'm too busy trying to find food he'll like, feed myself and clean up the mess as we go), diaper change, off to pick up #2 from school, a quick errand or a leisurely walk to Edison, pick up #3, home again home again..., some lesson or activity, naptime number two for Mr. E, connect with the boys about chores or whatever and before I know it it's time to cook dinner and we're already behind schedule if we want to manage baths and getting them in be by 8 for storytime, which then gets dragged out because of obnoxious behavior and a lack of cooperation and suddenly that doomed middle child is getting a super-quick five-minute book that is way too young for him and I put him to bed realizing he hasn't had a good snuggle story time in days! I don't know how to do it all. And sometimes it seems like the most important stuff doesn't happen and yet, what to cut out? That's all important stuff too. Maybe this is the challenge of life with three.

How do I get these darn shoes on?

Cary put Ezra down on our bedroom floor for a moment with his little Robeez shoes next to him to finish getting him dressed. He left the room for a moment and wondered why Ezra got so frustrated. I could even hear him howling from downstairs. Was he just tired? Or not wanting to be put down? Cary returned to find him sitting on the floor with his knee up and his foot stomping on the little slipper, howling as he couldn't figure out how to get them on.

Five point restraint vs. Ezra 'Houdini' Lieberman

Up until now I haven't questioned my choice to put Ezra in the high chair with some Os and sneak into the bathroom for a minute. The only possible danger was in choking, or so I thought. But that wasn't enough to make me worry since he's long been such a competent eater. Then yesterday Noah screamed for me from the kitchen when he discovered that Ezra had wriggled his way out of the five-point restraint safety seatbelt and was standing upright and backwards in the highchair, laughing, of course. True, the tray wasn't on at the moment, but really, would that have made a difference? I've since cinched down the straps even more.

Tinker toys aren't just for bigger boys

Ezra absolutely loves playing with tinker toys or anything that he can out one piece into another piece. The marble run pieces (sans marbles) also provide endless entertainment. He puts things in the tubes or puts the sticks in the holes or whatever. He seems very mechanically inclined already.