Our Kids

Landis got her first tooth this weekend. It seems like she has been working on that bugger for eons and it finally arrived. It is on the bottom left side if you are looking at her. I was quite excited about it when I found it. We were in the Del Taco in Payson on our way home from Greer and I think all the patrons in the restaurant got an earful of “Landis got a tooth, Landis got a tooth.” My sweet little pea got her first tooth just two days shy of her 8 month birthday:)

So we took a mini vacation this weekend and it was great/good:) The girls did really well compared to our last trip to Sedona when they were just 18 months or so. This time they are super mobile and pretty tolerant of the car so we headed up to the White Mountains. It is amazing that the weather is so different from here, PHX 90+ degrees, White Mountains 60+ degrees and only 4 hours away!

We had an awesome cabin that we stayed at and had great company (Grampy and Grammy), did a little bit of fishing, ate some great meals, drank some good wine, had some good family fun. The girls seemed to have a really good time just playing and being with family. Sleeping was a bit rough but that is to be expected, it is rough at home too:) Here is a conversation that we had in the car:

Piper: Dad…..Dad…..DAD (dad is driving and can’t quite hear her)
Mom: What do you need Piper?
Piper: I was talking to Dad!

LOL! You can see that the girls have some spunk of late which is generally quite cute but it does get a bit old around bedtime:) All in all I could not have asked for a better trip, between all the family I was able to read half of a book that I have been wanting to read and get in some good social and eating time.

And to top it all off Landis got her first tooth!

So we’ve got a friend of ours’ twin 4-year olds over tonight. First time for that sort of thing with our girls, I think… sure, Mystique’s taken Piper and Lela on play dates, etc… but this is a bit different.

I got home and was wondering how our girls would be doing… I walked in and Lela came running out of their playroom saying, “Daddy, look! We have friends!” And she was pointing into the playroom. “Come here, look!”

Right then I was a bit surprised! I thought Lela might be hanging around Mystique a lot, being quiet, etc… but both she and Piper were quite excited about having their friends over.

So they seem to be doing very well… I don’t know why, but it feels funny. Mystique and I were in the kitchen and all the girls were just playing in their playroom. When Mystique poked her head in there Lela told her, “Mommy, I don’t want you in here.” It’s started already!

Just now Piper was pointing at me telling the other girls, “There’s my Daddy! Hey. There’s my daddy!” Nobody was interested.

6:04pm: they’re amazed at our toys. I wonder if we have too many or they don’t have any

6:05pm: I love it when Piper and Lela say, “Hey guys! Guys!?” Too funny.

6:07pm: Ok, everyone has to go. Mystique’s not making dinner until 7:30pm. Honestly, I’m surprised at how well this is going. All of the girls are playing so well together… our girls, their girls. Awesome.

6:09pm: You mean, everyone doesn’t get to stand on their furniture? One of friends pointed at Lela while she was standing on our sofa and said, “She’s standing on the furniture!”

Note to self: when we drop off the girls somewhere we need to tell them *not* to stand on the furniture.

6:12pm: Umm… what should Mystique and I be doing while the girls are playing?

6:12:47pm: Nevermind, Landis just woke up!

Hmmm….so many things so little time

We learned that this is going to be a loooong summer with little getting outside (girls were out 5 min before declaring it was too hot, probably got that from me, sorry)

We learned that the girls can’t really go without a nap for two days in a row (neither can I apparently)

We learned that sand art is a lot of fun but definitely an OUTSIDE craft

We learned that two days without naps leads to some very cranky kids and a not so happy mom

Finally we learned that Ester Price chocolate covered cherries are really good even frozen:)

This morning I woke up to Landis on her tummy, propped up on her elbows, just cooing and looking around and smiling. It was very cute and a nice way to start the day.

Landis is really getting ready to start moving around on her own… she’s really already doing it. Yesterday I had put her on her blanket on the floor with some toys so she could get some sitting time. I went in to the office and checked my email, some scores, etc… The girls were in the same room playing on the sofa when we heard, “Mom! Dad! Look at Landis!” So we went in there… and Landis had rolled herself about 5 feet across the room to where Lela had just finished a puzzle. She, of course, was trying to put the puzzle pieces in her mouth.

I know we keep saying this, but Landis is quite different than the girls… I don’t remember the girls moving around quite as much. I suspect we’re going to have a crawler on our hands! Good thing we’ve got Piper and Lela to keep an eye on her!

jason

Sunday night, 11:30pm or so. The girls (all four of ‘em) are finally sleeping (see Mystique’s post, below).

I think about today and I cringe. It ended with a not-so-stellar parenting performance by myself after what really was an ok day with the girls. I went and got breakfast burritos and coffee with Piper and Lela (it’s becoming a Sunday tradition with us) and that went well enough. On the way home Piper was happily singing “The Saints go Marching In” way off key and butchering the lyrics, but I loved it. Lela was cracking me up with her now-very-common, “Pipe! Come on, Pipe!” I don’t know why that makes me smile, but it does.

Piper and I took off to Ikea to pick up a special order… that trip went well enough, too. Taking one of the girls to a store is literally 5 times as easy as bringing them all. No worries about attention, or who has who’s hand… just you and one little person, happily strolling around a store explaining things.

Got home, comforted Lela a bit (she had decided that she did want to go to Ikea about 10 minutes too late). Then we had a nice stretch where the girls played for a bit by themselves, giving Mystique and I some cleanup and email time.

After a yummy dinner of pizza the girls had a quick bath and then it was time for… bedtime. And that’s where I cringe. I still haven’t figured out bedtime and it just becomes a frustrating time of taking someone back to their bed where they’re either asking for another animal or crying because I’m being firm but gentle and not talking to them.

Anyhow, I failed… got frustrated with them… probably said a few things in, well, not my regular voice, and even though they’ve probably forgotten about tonight, I still feel terrible. So Sportscenter was delayed an hour. Big. Deal. I need to remember that the girls aren’t really trying to give me a hard time… they’re 3 1/2 yrs. old. That’s all they know… and really, they’re just acting their age.

So, just as with every day… the good times far outnumbered the tough times, but I forget that at times. I’ve got three very special daughters who make me smile and feel good about life more times in a day that I can count.

Lela’s infectious laugh, Piper’s gesture-filled conversations, and Landis’ neverending smile. That’s what I want to remember about today.

jason

Well since I realized I was “missing” all the crafts and fun things we used to do BL (before Landis), I decided to get my act together and we have been back to our old selves. I really enjoy all the crafts and things we do together so we have painted with water, played with shaving cream, made collages, created masterful stepping stones and just gotten back to our creative selves of late. It is nice and Landis cooperates with little naps here and there and sitting in her high chair and watching us. The girls seems to be enjoying it as usual and I see more and more in our future since we are already in the triple digits, zowie!

In addition to being loads of fun the girls are also sooo frustrating:) Just being three and all that but geez sometimes you can’t get a break. It is easy to see how kids end up running all over their parents. Being a kind, firm and communicative parent is pretty exhausting because you are always “on.” Making clean up a game, encouraging helping, redirecting, no yelling, compromising and all the rest that comes with positive parenting leaves you a bit drained at the end of the day. Tonight Jace and I were so drained that the girls are FINALLY asleep on the floor of our room (they have their own mats on our floor) and we are zonked in the living room. How it all happened is a real blur, I am just hoping to get to bed sometime soon and to actually rest!

Love, laugh and bite your tongue:)

The girls got into swim lessons! There was quite a rush this weekend since the server at the community center went down and there were hoards of angry parents storming the place to get their kids into summer classes. Lucky for me I was only mildly annoyed at home and by the time I got to the center I had talked myself into the “hey what is the big deal” corner so I was calm and cool. Maybe it paid off because we got into some of the most coveted summer classes….swimming!

Now this is just the put your head under and blow bubbles class but Piper said she was ready. I enrolled Lela but I don’t think she is ready but maybe I will be surprised and we decided to let her decide for herself and not force our opinion of what she wants on her (at least not until she is a tween:). So every Saturday until late June you will find us at the Hamilton Pool doing classes. I am not too fussed about them learning how to swim but I thought Piper would enjoy it. They do a lot of “swimming” in the neighbors pool but they don’t go under on purpose:)

The other day we were at a park with a big lake and Lela said she wanted to go fishing. I instantly thought of my Grandpa and how he took us fishing. There was a fish fry at the end of the fishing too and I remember it being delish. Sometimes we would even have fresh sugar cane to gnaw at the end. Anyhoo, good thing for us we are taking a trip to Greer and staying at a fishing lodge in a couple weeks. Maybe someone will take her fishing there:)