Our Kids

I have been posting way less and posting pictures way less. The reason you ask??? I moved my computer. This has totally been a good thing because I am not longer checking it at every available moment which allows me to be more present with the girls, not just here with them but actually engaged with them. The downside is that I post less and forget more of the things they say and do.

The girls start summer camp next week. The summer camp at their new school runs the same hours and in the same classroom as school so we thought it would be a good test run for us all to see how our mornings are going to go. So far we think that Jason will take them to school at least 4 days a week and me maybe one and then I will pick them up. We are guessing that they need to leave at 7:30AM and I will pick them up at 12PM. I think school is from 8:30 to Noon but they get 30 minutes to play before school starts. We also have a friend going there for kindergarten so some carpooling is probably in order as well.

I am busy getting the girls things ready for school. I bought some days of the week organizers for clothes so we can put out their clothes for the week. We are working on a routine of eating breakfast with daddy, getting dressed, brushing teeth and doing hair for school. I have been less than bright and busy tailed in the morning so the week of camp should help me get ready too. I am sad to see them go but happy and excited for their new adventure. I actually feel pretty ready for them to have some time away from me and meet new friends. They seem so big and grown compared to just a year ago. I am really excited for their Waldorf school and all the treasures it has to offer them.

When we went to drop off their summer camp info they were so excited to see that in addition to the ducks there was a pig, chickens, sheep and goats to care for. We are so lucky to have this type of education available to us, just one of the reasons Phoenix is becoming our forever home…..for now:)

I have been having second thoughts about sending Landis to preschool. What seemed like such a good idea months ago doesn’t seem so fresh these days. She isn’t even 3 which I often forget because she is hanging with her 5 year old sisters. I started my campaign to get her to stay home. It went sort of like this:

Mom: Landis do you want to go to school?
Landis: Yes
Mom: Wouldn’t you rather stay home and play with Mommy and Phoebe?
Landis: No (no thought involved just no)
Mom: But I can’t go to school with you
Landis: (looking a bit shocked) But me can’t drive!!!
Mom: No, I can take you and pick you up
Landis: OK

HA! She was concerned on how she was going to get herself to school but I think she would have found a way if I did not drive her. Sigh, I guess I lost that battle. In the big scheme of things I suppose it’s ok for her to go to school two days a week for two hours. I know I am selfish but I just want them all to stay at home:)

So Landis is very good at telling us how she feels, what she wants (I think I have mentioned this before). Even though you may not understand every word she says she is very in tune with her feelings. If she gets the slightest congestion she can hear the fluid in her ears and tells me about it, “There are flies in both my ears.” We have been tracking the “flies” over the past few months, generally when she says she has flies I take her to the ped and we see fluid build up but no infection. We were doing a 30 day check at the ped this week and it just so happened that Landis had a summer cold so it was good timing until……..

We arrive at the doctor’s office a little early. Despite the 100 degree heat with humidity we were all feeling fine. The girls got out of the car and walked to the front and stood on the sidewalk and I went around to get Phoebe. I noticed a smell when I got over there but did not know what it was. I picked up Phoebe and found the smell. She had pooped all the way up her backside to her hairline and it was running down her leg. Not only that it had run down the seat belt over the piddle pad (to catch accidents) and down under the car seat. OMFG!

Since this was just a quick trip I had packed exactly NOTHING! Thankfully I found a package of wipes stuffed under the seat and I was abl to strip her down and give her a wipes bath. I also found an old disposable diaper that belonged to Landis (a size 5) and managed to slap that on her. All this time she was pleased as punch with herself and Piper was standing on the sidewalk telling me how hot she was. As I was struggling to clean a baby with no supplies in 100 degree heat (plus humidity) with a pile a foot high of dirty wipes I was less than concerned with her heat index. All it all it worked out and my hormones were in check so there was no inappropriate outburst:) We got all cleaned up and took ourselves and our adorable baby in the giant diaper to see the doctor.

To wrap up the Landis front, no flies and no fluid!

Well we did it. Jason and I went out of town and left the girls with my folks (who graciously flew here from Texas to watch them) for 2 nights and almost 3 days!! Of course everyone did famously, in fact I was probably the only one worse for the wear. I did think of them often, every minute I wasn’t doing something I was wondering what they were doing. I would be lying if I did not admit it was nice not to be fixing food or wiping bottoms eternally although I did have Phoebe with me so there was some of both.

Jason and I escaped to a wedding in California and we spent one day in San Jose at the Hilton (thanks HHonors points program) and then one day at the Corde Valley Resort in San Martin. Oh now that is some serious spoiling going on at that place. Once we got past the awkwardness of being waited on hand and foot it was so delightfully delicious I can’t wait to go back. Not only was the service divine but Phoebe slept for her first “full” night from 11PM to 6:30AM non stop. Angels singing, clouds parting!!! She then went back to sleep for another hour and awoke just in time for our breakfast for two served al fresco overlooking the golf course and the mountains, oh I want to go back now:)

We are back home, my folks are gone, and I am exhausted and a bit run down but I think we have a cold brewing here since Loo Loo has a fever today and Lela is out of sorts. Maybe some hot tea and a good nights rest will have us back in working order by the weekend.

The girls are learning all the important info they need like our full names, our address and our phone numbers. The other day each of the girls was going through what everyone’s full name was. Piper did hers, Lela did hers, then they did mine and Jason’s and finally Landis did hers.

She said my name is Landy Loo Loo Haslup.

Well Phoebe found her feet. You can now see her grabbing her toes and rolling from side to side. I am not sure she knows they are her feet but she does like them. She is really starting to like the baby in the mirror too.

We have been working on sitting but she doesn’t seem to have it down. She can roll from side to side and on to her tummy but the sit is still eluding her. In her defense she does not get much time to roll around on the floor and practice these things. With two active 5 year olds and an active 2.5 year old leaving a little baby on the floor doesn’t sound like the smartest parenting decision:)

I think we are going to introduce bananas tomorrow, she is sucking down that cereal like there is no tomorrow and doesn’t seem to have any of the texture issues that Landis had/has. Wahoo, food here we come:) This might be where the whole cloth diapering thing goes awry, depending on how the food comes out if you know what I’m saying.

Well Phoebe has started down the eating path. Today she had her second “helping” of oatmeal. Yesterday she thought it was okay but today she actually seemed to think it was good. She ate one tablespoon which is a lot for a wee babe.

As far as food goes she is not as interested in breastfeeding or eating in general. The problem is that during the day when life is happening she doesn’t want to nurse, she wants to see all the action which makes facing me and nursing quite a challenge. So I thought I would offer her a little cereal during the day so she can be up and looking at everyone.