Rest Time

Okay - time to do all those things I just can't accomplish with a conscious Destructi-Nate around.
Those bathrooms still need to be cleaned, lunch dishes need to be done and those clothes aren't going to put themselves away.
It was a good morning.  I got Caroline on the bus, bringing all the boys with me.  We also went to Wegmans, put away groceries, did our upstairs morning chores, went for a walk, met some new neighbors, got some laundry done, made banana bread and ate lunch.
Days like this I really think that I can handle having four kids. And lest I become too comfortable with myself, on days like Wednesday, I really have to wonder. 

The older boys are more interested in Benjamin recently.  Ben is trying to roll over (honest) and his movements appear to be more purposeful.  Sam and Nate find this amusing and it keeps them entertained.
Thank goodness.  

Caroline informed me last night that I only had 2 months and 1 day to make her Halloween costume, so I had better start working...I'll let you know how that goes. 

Multitasking.

I'm not a great multitasker.
I can do one thing at a time well.  Add more than that and all bets are off. 
I'm holding Benjamin so we have some prayer of a nap, listening to Nate cry (he is less than enthralled with the concept of napping these days), just heard the dryer go off signaling that I have yet another load of laundry to fold and put away, thinking about the kitchen that needs to be picked up and perseverating on the bathrooms that should be scrubbed.  All while dreaming of how wonderful a little nap would be.  
And instead I decided to blog.  I guess if I add procrastination to my list of things I AM doing okay with this multitasking thing. 

The News of the Day:
-Benjamin smiled!  Twice.  On purpose!  Without farting afterwards!  Too cute, I tell you. 
-Benjamin has also started to laugh in his sleep.  Not just a little smile, which we have seen almost since he was born, but loud, body shaking guffaws.  It is hysterical to watch.  He looks like Santa Clause because he twists up his mouth in a bow before he lets loose and his belly does shake like jelly.  Instead of "Ho Ho Ho", you hear high pitched giggling. 
-Sam is really liking school.  He said there was a little girl that was crying that got "kicked out", but other than that - it was "really fun."  Today when I dropped him off he didn't even look back.  Not.  Even.  Once.
-Caroline is also liking school.  She enjoys doing her homework a lot.  Someone has turned on her "Obnoxious Button" this week and I'm not sure why or how.  Part of me thinks it's because she is over-tired (she does NOT sleep).  Part of me wonders if it's because she is on the bus with the older kids now (she's the youngest on the bus).  We have instituted some strategies to try to correct this.  we'll have to see how they work.
-Nate is Nate.  He is starting (slowly.  Very, very slowly) to potty train himself.  Nate is the kind of boy that will say "No" if  you suggest something, but is very willing to try if he thinks it's his idea.  Today he went in the bathroom, stripped off everything except his shoes and socks and then proceeded to pee on the floor next to the toilet.  Right idea.  Bad aim. 
His manners are getting better.  He says "Thank you" frequently now, without prompting - today he let rip this 10 second, 5 octave fart and then said "Thank you" with such a sound of relief that I could do nothing but stifle my giggles.  We have time to work on etiquette.  

The older boys and I made some cornbread today.  Our neighbors have been amazing and we haven't had to cook all week  - what a wonderful thing.  But I needed something to do where they wouldn't Destructi-Nate, so corn bread it was. 
Didn't turn out bad, either. 

And not it's time to get some real work done. 
Have a good rest of the day!

First Day of School, Sam Edition

I have a little time before the afternoon round-up of children begins. 
I should be cleaning the kitchen, folding/putting away laundry, preparing an afternoon snack for the kids or changing the linens upstairs.  But...I can barely keep my eyes open.  Jim is making me a coffee for the road when I go get the kids.  It doesn't quell my overwhelming urge to put my head down and lose consciousness right now, though. 
It takes 10 hours to get 8 hours of sleep because of Ben and/or Nate and/or Caroline and/or Sam getting up.  Everyone's sleep pattern has taken a hit in the past couple weeks. 
We'll figure things out. 
Probably in April, but we'll do it. 

Here are some pictures from Sam's first day of pre-school.  He was very, very excited.  His "homework" assignment was to make a collage about himself.  We looked through the blog and picked out his favorite pictures, then printed them out and cut them up for the collage.  He is so proud of it - he couldn't wait to show  his teacher. 
I'm thinking (read: hoping fervently) everyone will sleep well tonight. 

Time Keeps on Slippin'...

Today reminded me of a Steve Miller Band song as I lamented with millions of other parents how big our babies are getting.
I think I was a senior in college before I realized that time keeps going whether I want it to or not.
Yup - it took me five years of college to figure that one out.
It's just that having children is a way of "dating" ourselves because they change so much.  They get older so fast.
I, of course, don't.  Just them.  The grey hairs are an aberration.  

First day of school for Caroline.
Certainly not as nerve wracking as last year, but still not easy.  She'll do great, I know.  I even ran into her kindergarten teacher this morning at the Post Office who said the program that CJ is currently is was made for her.   This made me feel better.

I'm trying to take it easy today.  I've been pushing too much lately.  I mean, the upstairs chores are done, laundry is done and put away and the groceries are put away after a trip to Wegmans this morning.  And we went to the bus and Post Office.
I think I've earned some rest.

Ugh.

I know it's not a big deal.
And that I will laugh about it someday soon.
But right now, it makes me crazy.
You see, I finally got all the Thank You notes completed for things that people have given us to celebrate Benjamin's arrival.  Not just stuff for Ben but also things for the other kids and meals.  Gotta love prepared meals.
The generosity of people has been wonderful.  I was dragging my feet a little in getting the notes done, but finally made up my mind yesterday that I would do it.  And I finished them all.
Every.  Single.  One.
And I put them all together to have stamps put on them and go to the Post Office on Monday.
What I failed to remember was that I have been letting Nate open a lot of mail recently - cards for Ben and cards for his own birthday.  It honestly never occurred to me that Nate would try to open up a card that I didn't give him.
Until he ripped open my Thank You notes.  And colored the ones that he didn't open.

I cried. 
Defeated.
Destructi-Nate-d.
Yet again.  

I got to thinking.  It would be really nice if I could include pictures in those cards.
I got on the internet and uploaded some pics to include with the NEW notes in NEW envelopes that will be in no way accessible to the aforementioned two year old.
So, when you get a card with a nice picture in it, you can thank Nate.

Today we went up to Gettysburg to wander around the National Cemetery.  Not sure what that says about us that we go for adventures in cemeteries, but we had a nice time.   Made me *almost* glad that I still remember the Gettysburg Address that I had to memorize for Mrs.  Dieffenbacher in fifith grade.  Sam and Caroline also sat through 45 minutes of a presentation on the Civil War Soldier at the Visitor Center.  It was pretty interesting.  Jim and I alternated sitting with the older kids because Nate found the presentation decidedly uninteresting.  But at least I got to use the time to get some steps in and to brush up on my history by reading the landmark signs as I walked by them with a screaming Nate in the stroller.

We're listening to the Red Sox game now.
Bleh.
And that's all I have to say about that.


On another note - Caroline has three loose teeth.  Her top, front left tooth is on the verge of falling out.
The Tooth Fairy will be coming soon. 
Sigh.
My baby girl is growing up.

Our first week of being a four child family has been good and bad.  Most of all it has been challenging.  It was brought up to me today that I need to check back on the blog a few years ago because we were seriously overwhelmed when Caroline was born and we had just her to take care of.  After hearing that, I felt a little better.  Our management skills must be improving or else I don't think we would have even considered having any more.
Honestly, there are times when I want to bang my head on the wall because I'm so frustrated.
And then, I see things like this and I think that it just might be all right.

. 

Back to Reality

Well, Nina just left.  We dropped her off at the shuttle to go to the airport and I don't think there was a dry eye on anyone.  Nate cried for her most of the way home.  Caroline was none too happy, either.  Sam was sleepy (read: grumpy) and Ben was less than charming, too. 
It was awesome. 

So we got home, had a dinner of leftovers, got everyone in the bath and set up for baseball night.  Nate couldn't handle the whole "be on my best behavior" thing and was banished to his bedroom (where he just stopped crying).  Sam and Caroline have been given their last warning and if there is any more anything then they will be banished as well.  We decided to give Ben a mulligan if he was fussy because we have no place to banish him to.  =-)
Things I'm sure will be interesting over the next few days.  Just the beginning of school is enough to throw things into a tailspin, so I can only imagine what having Ben around is going to do.  I was feeling very overwhelmed when I looked on the blog at this time last year and realized that I was overwhelmed then, too.  Just in a different way. 
I feel bad for Nate, especially.  I think he feels particularly jilted with Ben's arrival.  At the same time, even though he is two, he needs to learn the world does not revolve around him.  So we're trying to make him walk the straight and narrow while cutting him a little slack at the same time.  Come to think of it, it's like that with all the kids.  Put this with caring for a newborn and trying to get some time to actually have an adult conversation with my husband and I'll admit it, it's really tough.  I'm tired.  Physically and mentally. 
I think it will get easier?  I hope it will get easier?  It has to get easier? 
I'm not sure.  But we'll keep learning and adapting.  Keep playing Calvinball.  And we might figure things out.   
Eventually. 

Here is Ben in the bassinet we were fortunate enough to borrow.  Super duper handy. 

We went to the Cactoctin Mountain Orchard today to pick up some honey butter for school lunches.  

They were out.  

So we took advantage of the scenery.  

It is very pretty in Maryland.  

Who knew?

 Then we took Nina out to lunch at Uno's.  It's going to be a loooong time before we go out to eat again.  Eating at a restaurant with four children is *ahem* challenging. 

As much as I'm going to miss the occasional treat, I have to admit I'm looking forward to all the money we'll save. 

Mr. Ben looking rather pensive.  His eyes are a dark grey color.  I think they're darker than the other kid's eyes were.  I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up being brown.  

Of course, with our track record, I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up staying grey, either. 

Everyone was enamored by the National Geographic special on the dinosaur mummy found in North Dakota.  Sometimes I think Netflix is the best $7.99 I spend during the month. 

Wednesday Night Date Night?

Wednesday nights used to be date night.  Since we first started dating, Wednesdays have been special.  Even after we had children, we would make a special effort to sit in front of  or listen to the ballgame together.  Tonight out date was at Dairy Queen with Caroline and Benjamin after the Open House at CJ's new school. 
The Open House was interesting.  The school itself seems run down, but in talking to parents that have sent their kids to the program that CJ is in, everyone is thrilled with it.  The kicker tonight was that we found out there are only 11 kids in her class!!  Seriously.  We knew they were phasing out the Magnet Program, but didn't think the cuts would be this significant.  I just hope they don't decide to eliminate the class she is in.  I really don't know what we would do then...But I'm learning to worry about things only when I have to (a work in progress, I admit).  So we'll just have to jump off that bridge when we get there.  Caroline did announce that she did not want to return to school, but would rather stay home and take care of Ben.  This is very unlike Caroline - she loves school -  so I am a little concerned.  I spoke to her teacher about it and we arranged to have a small picture of Ben on Caroline's desk to see if that helps.  We'll see how it goes.  Next week is "back to reality" in more ways than one.
So now it's 10:30 or so and I'm sitting on the bed with Caroline snoring beside me, Benjamin snoring laying on top of me, Nate snoring laying at my feet and Jim sleeping quiet soundly on the other side of the bed.  Sam is asleep in Nina's room.  I'm trying NOT  to go downstairs and get something to eat.  The last few weeks of our pregnancy, I was so nauseous and my body ended up rejecting many of my meals, so I lost a decent amount of weight.  Now that I feel better, I think my body is trying to catch up *doesn't it know that I need to get back into my regular clothes sooner rather than later?!?!*  and I have been so hungry...
Today while my Mom was cleaning out the bathroom ("Karen - what do you use to clean your tub?", "I don't know, Mom, I haven't been able to bend over far enough to clean it in months...") and I was sitting and rocking Ben, I told my Mom that I was doing my best to resist the temptation to help her because my baby boy wasn't going to be a baby boy for long and I needed to soak him in.  She looked at me and said, "Tell me about it."  It never occurred to me that I was her baby girl not that long ago...
...Annnnnd let the pregnancy hormone related tears commence! 

Here are some pictures that Nina has taken in her week here...
Ben in the hospital.  Look at those prehensile toes!  

 Somebody just HAD to go to Lowe's to ride in the wicked awesome shopping cart!

 There were fire trucks parked outside the hospital one day when the kids came to visit.  So they had to stop and talk...they are diggin' the hats.  And no, my Dad didn't get a hat. 

 Even Superman has to sleep.  Milk in a bottle seems to be his kryptonite. 

Ummmm....Tuesday Night?

We're sitting in bed and listening to the Orioles game watching Benjamin go totally spider monkey.
When we were pregnant, we would watch him move, squirm and wiggle when we were sitting listening to ballgames or getting ready to sleep.  Jim could actually count fingers and toes a couple times, Ben was pushing on my abdomen so much.  We would see this and joke that Q was "going all spider monkey on us".  This period of activity would usually culminate about10pm and then he would start to quiet down and I could get some rest.
Just to show that we're creatures of habit, even in utero, we had Ben laying on the bed between us tonight and about 10pm, lo and behold, he starts to go totally spider monkey!  Watching his movements, it now makes total sense why my stomach looked like I swallowed the Loch Ness Monster.  He even managed to roll himself over  (I have no illusions of greatness here - I realize the bed isn't exactly flat).  Now he's starting to calm down...let's hope it lasts.  He  has been sleeping most of the day today - so I fear I may end up watching some Ken Burns mini-series or re-reading an amazing book tonight while soothing Ben so Jim can get some sleep. 
I'm trying to catch up on sleep as much as I can while my Mom is still here.  What an amazing help.  Today she took Sam and Caroline while Jim and I ran some errands to Target and Wegmans.  It certainly was easier to get around without hauling a whole gang with us.  We even go to use a gift card Jim had to Panera.  Instead of having a honeymoon, it's kind of like a baby-moon to ease us back into real life.  =-)  I won't lie, though.  After the two stores and lunch, I was beat.  The first thing I did once we got home was to take my pain meds.  I'm trying to get off of them and am using them less as I discover the limits of what I can/can't should/shouldn't do.  But I've never been one to figure these things out quickly - so I'm learning as I go (even with the 4th kid)...hence pain meds can be a beautiful thing.  Very beautiful, indeed.
While i was sleeping this afternoon, Jim had the boys playing baseball in our blue room.  Looks like it was a lot of fun!

 And THIS was the aftermath of the shennanigans at five o'clock.  He was exhausted. 

 Sam seems to be more and more intruiged with Benjamin.  He's aksing a lot about how he was when he was a baby.  Thank goodness I can just pull up piictures and stories from the blog - thereis NO way I could remember all the crazy stuff that has gone on here!  And, being a boy, Sam is also very concerned about Ben's "boy parts".   We have been assured that Ben has all his parts and that they will work appropriately, but we need to see a pediatric urologist in DC for some issues.  This does not sit well with Sam and he wants to know why Ben has to go to the Peepee Doctor.  As much as we explain it, there is only so much you can tell a four year old.
Today we heard the statement from Sam, "My peepee is bigger than Ben's peepee."
Yes, Sam.  it is.  You are older than Ben
"When I was a Baby, was my peepee bigger than Ben's?"
No, Sam.  Your peepee was the same as Ben's.
"You mean it wasn't this big?"  As a very serious Sam holds his hands about two feet apart to indicate size...
No, Sam.  It wasn't.

The more boys I have, the more their thinking becomes crystal clear to me.  Oy vey...
But here are some pictures of our first serious interaction between the two.  

T

Quiet

Benjamin is sleeping. 
Sam is playing with trains. 
Nate and Caroline are out on a walk with Nina. 
Daddy is in the shower. 

It's quiet. 

It's weird. 

So I'm chilling and listening to CNN.  I would like it to be the BBC but I don't have the energy *or the abdominal muscles* to reach over and switch the radio channel. 

Ben was only up at 11:30, 2:30 and 5 last night.  Not bad. 
Looking forward to getting out a little today and doing some errands (oh Danny Wegman, how I have missed you).  Also kind of looking forward to fitting into all those maternity clothes that my belly outgrew a couple months ago.  =-)   I saw this article on Yahoo and it made me feel pretty darn good.  Nice to know people are real. 
It's the little things. 

Yesterday was supposed to be Q's birthday.  His due date wasn't until the end of the month, though.  I am so grateful he is here and healthy (and ahead of schedule)!

So. Very. Tired.

I know, I know.
I've just had my fourth major surgery in 6 years and we have a 4 day old living in the house with three other children under the age of seven.  What did I expect?
All in all, things are going well.  We have had so much wonderful help Nina & Pops and neighbors.  I am so grateful.
Not that it has been a cakewalk...Nate is  having a tough adjustment to not being the baby and being two years old in general, Sam seems a bit overwhelmed by everything and Caroline just doesn't want to sleep ever...but golly, things have gone so much better than I imagined they would.  I have felt just so yucky and sick and itchy the past few weeks, that even though I'm in pain from the section, I feel so much better than I did.  It's really nice to feel good enough to want to do things (even if I get yelled at by everyone for doing too much). 
Benjamin has a nice case of the day/night mix-ups.  This has allowed both Jim and I to catch up on old episodes of "The Secret Life of the American Teenager", "How I Met Your Mother," and "Star Trek:"  So it's not all bad...just makes the daytime a bit more challenging...
Jim and I are sitting here with Benjamin, who is making the most beautiful cooing sounds that I have ever heard, listening to the baseball game with the other kids in bed and I have such an overwhelming sense of appreciation and gratitude and blessing that I could  cry. 
Wow.  Just wow.

So - enough sappiness - time to deluge the blogs with pictures from the past few days.

Here are Daddy and Nate reading a favorite "Thomas the Tank Engine" book...

 Caroline and Sam conned Auntie Chrissy...Ummm....I mean Auntie Chrissy was nice enough to get Caroline and Sam each a new stuffed doggie while she was here last weekend.  I made them each a collar and leash out of potholder loops and they were walking their pets all around the house.  The kids have been playing "pet shop" and pretending they are dogs and cats a lot recently.  They haven't come out and asked for a new pet, but I know it's on their minds.  I hope Benjamin will distract them for a little while... 

 Caroline insisted on taking a belly picture of me earlier this week.  I, of course, wanted to wait until tonight because Q wasn't going to arrive until tomorrow!  Yup - sometimes my kids are smarter than me.  I admit it. 

 Nina and 3/4 of her brood.  We love having Nina around.  What an amazing help. 

 Chilling with Benjamin after bathies.   They just want him to be able to play with them so badly.  I hope it lasts say, another 18 years...

 The First Official Pictures of the Fantastic Four...

 Sleeping like a baby.  I love these little outfits that all four of them have worn.  Takes me on a nice trip down Memory Lane.  And then I stop in amazement/astonishment because it re-occurs to me that I am a mother of four.  HOLY SCHNIKES!!!!!