Happy Halloween!

I love Halloween. I love it now way more than I did as a kid, because I love seeing my babies dressed up and having so much fun. And then I love eating all of their candy after they go to sleep.

Today Henry and Georgia both had Halloween parties at their schools. Of course, I had to buy candy and drinks and chips and stuff like that to contribute to their classrooms. Well, yesterday Elise caught wind of the fact that they were going to have classroom parties and she got all excited and thought she was going, too. I felt awful. So I told her that we were going to stay home and throw a surprise Halloween party for Daddy when he comes home for lunch tomorrow. Had to be quick on my toes with that one. But she totally bought into it and got super happy. So this morning we made decorations-- paper pumpkins and tissue paper ghosts and cottony cobwebs-- and lit some candles and found some Halloween music to listen to online. I think Elise had fun.

Tonight we went trick or treating. The kids really liked it. They especially liked seeing dogs dressed up in costumes. Ha!

We had to avoid some of the houses on our trick or treating route because the kids thought they were "too scary," but if no one was in a grim reaper costume or bloody zombie costume then the kids were mostly okay.

This year Henry was a ninja, Elise was a cartoony lion, Georgia was a fairy, and Clark was a more realistic lion. Elise has always been an animal so far. First she was a monkey, then a dog, and now a lion. Last year Henry was a cowboy. Georgia was a cow. Clark was a teddy bear.

This year I was a tired mommy.

Georgia's 6 Month Speech Evaluation

I just got the report from Georgia's 6 month re-evaluation at her speech therapist's office. Lots of improvement!

The office miscalculated her age and said that she's several months older than she really is, so they compared her performance to kids who are older than she actually is now. At her age, a few months really do make a difference. Since she was compared to older kids, she's actually doing better than the report shows. And even with the miscalculated age, over all Georgia's speech skills are "on level." Yay! She's at the low end of "on level" according to the report, but I think that if you adjusted for the correct age, she would be just a little below the 50th percentile. That's my guess, anyway.

She still has considerable problems with her articulation. The report indicates that she can't even hold her mouth in some of the positions that a person needs in order to form certain sounds properly. For example, she can't effectively go from puckering her lips to stretching them out to puckering them to stretching them out again. We have lots of "silly faces" to practice making at each other in order to help her put her mouth into the right shapes.

Like Henry, Georgia made a lot of progress over the past 6 months. So proud of my babies!

Getting Picky

Damn it. Clark has finally figured out that he can reject food. He hasn't yet discovered how to spit food out, but instead he reaches inside of his mouth and pulls the offending taste right off his tongue. And lately, nearly every taste is offensive. Literally all he ate for dinner tonight was cheese. Last night all he had was mashed potatoes, but I managed to sneak some spaghetti squash into his taters and he didn't notice. Now if I can just figure out how to fold carrots into slices of cheese, and add spinach into yogurt, he might not develop malnutrition.

Poo Poo and Other Conversations with My 1 Year Old

* Clark told me three different times today that he had pooped in his diaper. He says, "Poooooo pooooo!" in this funny little way of his where he barely moves his lips. Ventriloquist style.

* Clark has started saying and signing "more" whenever he wants something. He points at what he wants then says that he wants more, even if he hasn't had any yet. It can be that he wants food or a book or to be picked up... it doesn't matter, he'll use "more." I think that to him the word more means "I want."

* Clark has also been learning sounds. He knows what sound a cat makes, what sound a cow makes, what sound a bear makes, and what sound a train makes. He really likes trains. I don't know if he's just picking up on Henry's love of trains, or if Clark has his own unique love for them, but either way, the boys both think it's the funniest thing when I shout, "ALL ABOARD!"

Congrats to Jen!

Congratulations to my friend Jen, her husband, and their son Andy! Their baby girl arrived yesterday, and everyone is happy and healthy from what I hear. Good work, Mama!

Vocab Word of the Day

Lately I've been giving Elise a new vocab word every day. She's doing AWESOME with them. She knows the meaning of enormous, dawdle, dwelling, fetch, and lots of other words. And every day she asks for her next word. She's super into it.

Today Georgia was crying in the car. She was irrationally upset about something, probably because she's still on a hair-trigger from her recent surgery.

"Relax, Gigi! Relax!" Elise starts saying. And then, "Do you know what relax means? It means to calm down. Calm down now. Relax."

Elise came up with that one on her own. I was very impressed.

Tonsillectomy

Georgia is now tonsil- and adenoid-free. She had surgery earlier this week.

She had her tonsils removed because she was having sleep apnea, where she would stop breathing while she slept. She would snore up a storm, too, but that alone isn't a reason to get your tonsils removed. Sleep apnea is potentially dangerous and very bad for your health and mental well-being. Georgia's tonsils were naturally big-- no infection or anything, just huge tonsils. And her adenoids were removed because they were constantly inflamed, which caused everything to get backed up and then her ears would get infected, her nose would run like crazy, and lots of drool would puddle in her mouth and often run down her chin.

Because she is so young, Georgia had to stay in the hospital overnight after the surgery. There is a risk of dehydration in young children after tonsillectomies because they will often refuse to drink. Husband stayed in the hospital with Georgia, good daddy that he is. I took the other kids to the hospital to visit Georgia after her surgery. One of the nurses on the pediatric floor actually recognized me and then remembered Clark. (This time last year Clark was still in the hospital. What a nightmare that was! So glad that is behind us now.)

Georgia's voice is still kind of raspy, several days later. She's still having trouble eating some solid foods. She's drooling a lot because swallowing seems to hurt her. But overall she's doing all right, considering the circumstances. And hopefully she's still young enough that she won't remember any of it.

Driving Me Car-razy

Elise keeps asking to drive the car. I keep explaining that she's not old enough.

Today she said, "Mommy? I'm in my 3's soon. I can drive then?"

Two In the Adoption Oven!

We have been approved to adopt Henry and Georgia. MOMMY TEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy, happy mommy tears. :_ )

ADHD?

I went with Henry's class on a field trip recently, and seeing Henry with his peers really highlighted for me how INSANELY short his attention span is. I mean, I knew it was short, but I chalked a lot of it up to "he's a boy" and "he's just learning to hear properly so he's probably being overstimulated" and that sort of thing. Really, those ideas are probably true. And maybe he'll grow out of it. Maybe. I'm not so sure now. He's too young to know for certain, but I'm keeping the possibility of attention disorders in the back of my mind.

Clark's New Words

Clark is talking like crazy lately. I think I've mentioned before that he often says "thank you" after someone hands him something. More like "tay cah" but close enough. Well, today we were walking to the entrance of a playground and Clark points at a parked car and yells, "Cawr!" "Right, Clark! That's a car!" And then he points to the road where cars are driving by and yells, "Cawr! Cawr! Cawr!"

Awesome.

Later in the day we were grocery shopping. He always points out the bananas. "Nana!" But then he turns to the pumpkins and says, "Pup-ah!" So I asked, "Pumpkin?" and he gets very excited, "Pup-ah!" Smiles and pointing. He's starting to learn so many words. My little label maker, naming everything we look at. I love it.

It's Science

I know what I'm getting Elise for Christmas. A pocket protector.

I was reading the kids a book of nursery rhymes tonight when Elise stopped me mid-Itsy Bitsy Spider. The illustration on the page had caught her eye.

"WAIT! Mommy. A spider does NOT need an umbrella."

Thanks, Poindexter. I'll be sure to write to the editors and let them know that a correction is in order.

20%

Henry has been going to private speech therapy for about 6 months now, so he was reevaluated recently to check his progress. When he was first evaluated, his speech and language skills were in the bottom 1% compared to kids his same age. This time, his test results show that he is at 21%. Yay, Henry! Most of that progress was made in the last 3 1/2 months, after he got his ear tubes. The hard work is paying off!

Henry still has very poor articulation. His articulation skills are below that of a 2 year old, and he's 3 1/2 now. We've still got a long way to go, but I feel good about Henry's test results. Encouraged.

Not a Fluke!

Elise did the sit-on-the-potty-wearing-a-diaper poop again! YESSSSSSS! Oh, please let this be for real. Please let this be the start of fewer poopy diapers that I have to change. (When you have four little bitties, the thought of having TWO whole kids potty trained is enough to make you want to cry for joy.)

Super Pooper!

We've FINALLY made progress with Elise regarding her can't-poop-on-the-potty issue.

First of all, I've realized that she has some very strange and unexplained issues with seeing things inside the toilet bowl. If the toilet has anything other than clear water in it, she won't even sit on the seat. We were out somewhere and they had the kind of toilet bowel cleaner that turns the water blue. Nope. Not happening. She screamed and wouldn't let me sit her on the potty. If there's a discarded piece of toilet paper that hasn't been flushed down, she won't sit on the seat. A hair? Nope. The toilet has to be flushed clean before she'll sit on it. It's a thing with her. So I guess seeing some poop in the toilet, or the THOUGHT of possibly seeing some poop in the toilet, is disturbing her.

Well, tonight she had to poop. She sat and sat and sat on the potty. Husband read her stories. We talked to her. It went on and on and on. Finally I asked if she would still sit on the potty if I put a diaper on her and let her poop into the diaper while she keeps sitting on the toilet. She agreed. (I've asked her to do this in the past and she refused.) Her conditions were that I put the diaper on her, stay in the room but turn my back to her, and don't talk. So I did. And she pooped in the diaper while sitting on the potty.

YAY!

Then I told her that we were going to dump the poop out of the diaper and into the toilet because I wanted her to see what it would look like and see that it's not a big deal. She got really stressed out. Eventually she let me, though.

She was really proud of herself when it was all over. Now I wait to see if this was a one time deal or if she'll possibly do it again.

Sick Party

Elise is sick. Tonight she had to miss out on something that she'd been looking forward to all week, so we had a "sick party" instead. Everyone got hot chocolate and we all watched some Go Diego Go. As difficult as two year olds can be, there are some definite perks to that age group. They're easy to bribe and Christmas shopping is, like, the easiest thing in the world.

Wrecking Ball

Clark is going through a throwing phase. Big time. If it's not nailed down, he will push it over, knock it to the floor, or throw it across the room. He's also started slapping my face. It's weird, because he's still his happy little self-- he'll smack the glasses right off your head with a great big smile on his face.

Plan for Good Behavior: Step 1, House Rules

Today we implemented our first step in trying to correct the kids' bad behavior. They have gone off the rails lately (Thomas the Tank Engine, why are you always in my head now?), being so defiant and snooty. Time to nip that craziness in the bud.

This morning at breakfast we had the kids "help" us think of things that qualify for a time out. We don't have a ton of house rules (turns out there are 6), so they're pretty familiar with what gets them thrown in the baby clink.

1. No hurting other people or animals. No hitting, pushing, shoving, pinching, kicking, pulling, or scratching.

2. No jumping or bouncing on the bed or the couch. [We've had too many accidents to let them jump on the furniture.]

3. No yelling when there is a roof over your head. [That way this rule applies to any "inside" place, including inside the car.]

4. No running when there is a roof over your head.

5. No putting things in your mouth that aren't fresh food. Do not put toys in your mouth and do not eat food that you find on the ground. [Georgia especially has a problem with this. She puts EVERYTHING in her mouth.]

6. No ignoring Mommy and Daddy. You must follow directions. No being defiant.

We talked a lot today about our "Time Out List" and for some reason it seemed to help their behavior a little bit. It's as if they suddenly saw that we weren't asking a million different little things of them, just a few big rules.

99 Problems

Well, just 4 problems really. Behavior problems. Man. What has gotten into these kids lately?

Husband and I are developing a plan of attack. I'll let you know what we come up with...

My Personal Pingu

Clark looks ridiculously adorable when he walks. Elise and Georgia did zombie hands when they first started toddling around; they held their hands out straight in front of their chests. Clark bends his arms at the elbows and hold his hands up by his chin, making little arm flippers, and puffs his chest waaaaaay out. He looks like a penguin when he waddles around. Good thing I don't eat fish or I might accidentally throw some tilapia at his head.

Speaking of penguins, the kids love "Pingu." I love it, too. Do you know about this show? It's claymation from Switzerland. "Pingu" is on Netflix, but here's a short from youtube:

Interior Disaster

We were recently given some used but good-quality furniture for the kids' rooms. I'm very, very grateful for it. HOWEVER... I can't figure out how to fit all of it into our house. I feel like some kind of hoarder, shuffling piles of toys around to make room for stuff that I probably don't really need but want to keep anyway. Henry's bed has been in a different position in his room every night this week, as I try to figure out where everything will go. Of course, this delights Henry. Surprise! You're sleeping over here tonight!

I remember being a teenager and rearranging my room just for the fun of it. Now, I rearrange a room and my back is sore for the next 24 hours. At least now I can go drink a beer when I'm done...

Flu Free

The kids now all have their flu shots. Clark and Elise got theirs last Friday and Henry and Georgia got theirs today. I believe in vaccinating my children. Modern medicine is an amazing miracle and I have every intention to use it to my utmost advantage. Thank you, science.

Henry does not take shots well. I assume it's because of his history, having had emergency surgery when he was small and being stuck in the hospital with a PICC line in his arm for an entire week. So I don't blame him.

As soon as Henry figures out what's coming, he starts to flip out. Today, he started yelling "No! No!" as soon as the nurse asked him to lay down on the exam table. She held his legs and I held his arms and I talked into his ear while she gave him his shot. He screamed. Then when it was over he sat up and kept pointing at the nurse and yelling, "She hurt me! She hurt me, Mommy!" That was sad. It made me feel bad. I just tried to explain that getting a small boo boo now would protect him from a big boo boo later. I'm pretty sure that he could have cared less.

Then Georgia got her shot and she didn't even whimper. Not a sound. She raised her eyebrows and looked down as if to say, "What the...?" But that was it. I vote Georgia "most likely to get a tattoo." I just hope it's a heart with the word "MOM" in the middle. Or "MOMS"... that would be cool. I'd support that tattoo.

Birthday Party; Bad Behavior

Had I posted on Saturday, October 6th, I would have told you that Clark had a lovely first birthday party that day. We celebrated with family. Simple affair. Ball pit, pizza, angel food cake with blueberries and whipped cream. He was very happy and had a great time playing with his siblings and his cousins.

As for today, I will tell you that Henry has been having some behavior issues lately. He is normally the most well-behaved of the kids, but lately he's been very defiant. Especially once he's already been put in time out. He yells, throws a temper tantrum, and says things like, "Be quiet, Mommy!"

My first thought was, "He's totally copying other kids at school. This is not like Henry. He's learned this somewhere." Then I realized that maybe I'm being one of those moms that's in denial about the true nature of her children. So I talked to Henry's teacher under the pretext of hoping that Henry isn't having the same behavior problems in school that he's started to display at home. As soon as I described his new behavior the teacher confessed that Henry has seen another student act exactly that way and is clearly copying the bad behavior.

Ha! I knew it!

The teacher said that she tries to remove the misbehaved student as soon as he starts acting up, but sometimes the other kids see what he does. She said that Henry doesn't act like that at school (not yet, anyway), but that if we keep having problems at home to let her know and she'll talk to the principal. I'm not sure what the principal can do about it, but you'd better believe that I'll let her know if Henry keeps up with it. I've been pretty strict with Henry when he starts the bad behavior and it's already starting to wind down. Hopefully he's just testing those boundaries. Boundary set. Don't even try it, kiddo.

Clark's 1 Year Old Check Up; Mash Up

No posts for a few days. You know. Busy. 

I fully intended to post on Friday, October 5th. What I would have told you is that Clark had his 1 year old doctor's check up. He got 4 shots, plus a flu vaccine. Took them like a CHAMP. Whimper, whimper, got a mommy hug, and then he was fine. Totally pro. He's amazing. 

It made me imagine a comic that goes like this:

A baby clocks out of his baby job at the local playground and then toddles down the street to a place called The Monkey Bar. The baby sits down with some friends, who are all tossing back tequila slammers, and says, "You call those shots? You call THOSE shots? I had my one year old check up today..."

Maybe it's only funny to me. 

Anyhow, Clark is currently 31 3/4 inches long (97th percentile) and 23 lbs 5 oz (80th percentile). But for kids (of whatever age) that are his same height, his weight is in the 35th percentile. So even though he's bigger than most kids his age, he's actually kind of skinny for his height. Nevertheless, he's still gigantic overall, and despite starting on solid food, his growth doesn't seem to be slowing down much.

What I wanted to share for today is Elise's new favorite song. It goes like this...

Old MacDonald had a dog

Name-a name-a name-o

Fee fi, N-G-O

Fee fi, N-G-O

Fee fi, N-G-O

And name-a name-a name-o

She sings it non-stop. You'll notice how she combined several children's songs and stories into one place. There's "Old MacDonald Had a Farm," "B-I-N-G-O," and the phrase "Fee fi fo fum" from Jack and the Beanstalk. Nice work Elise. Good mash up. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLARK!!!

One year old. One year old! Happy birthday, you sweet little ball of cuteness! I love you, Clark.

Today Clark woke up to everyone in the house singing "Happy Birthday" and then he received his birthday present-- a giant box of wooden blocks. He loved them! Later in the day we bought a birthday balloon, had lunch with Daddy (Clark got TWO Buddy Fruits with lunch!), made a birthday cake, Skyped with all of the grandparents, and then had cake after dinner. It was a good day.

Oh, Clark. I can't believe you're already one year old.

Clark doesn't have quite as many words as Elise did at this same age, but he definitely has the comprehension. He answers yes and no questions by saying "yeah" and "nah" (I love the way he says "naaaah") and it really seems as though he actually says what he means.

Thank you for being such an awesome baby. And also for not destroying my vagina on your way out of my body. You're a gentle giant, Bubba.

Birthday Eve

I can't believe that Clark is almost 1 year old. Happy Birthday Eve, Babu!!!

Who Nose How It Got There

Tonight for dinner we had fake beef tips, vegetarian baked beans, organic mixed vegetables, and biscuits with honey. Clark will eat whatever you give him, but, not surprisingly, the bigger kids didn't even touch their mixed vegetables.

EXCEPT...

Toward the end of dinner Elise is sitting at the table picking her nose.

"Do you need a tissue?"

"Yes. Mommy, there's something in my nose."

"Ok, let me help you..."

I get a napkin and have her blow her nose into it. Mucous.

"It's still there, Mommy."

So I look. Sure enough, there's a giant booger.

"Blow again."

Nothing.

"Ok, Elise. I'm going to pinch the other side closed and you just blow all of your air out of this side," I say, blocking her unobstructed nostril.

She blows. And sweet mother of GOD... is that... half of a LIMA BEAN?!?!

"Elise? Was this just in your nose?"

Giggles. "I put a bean in my nose!"

So then we had the conversation that I hoped I'd never have to have with any of my children. The why-we-don't-put-stupid-shit-up-our-nose conversation. I must admit that I wasn't prepared for it. And certainly not during the height of Elise's "why?" phase. Please, Elise. Please. I hope you've learned your lesson. And I hope that the other half of the lima bean isn't still wedged up there somewhere.

TPR Finalized

The court has officially ordered the termination of parental rights as to Susannah, Henry, Georgia, and Eve's parents. (Baby Allison is being handled separately. I'll explain that some other time.)

Henry and Georgia legally have no parents right now. Isn't that strange?