Living Museum with A & M

Is it just me or does she look kind of like a rock star??? A rock star with a possum. Just give him a huge brass frog to ride and he is all smiles!

Well, we had an interesting week here at the house. First, we noticed that our freezer and refrigerator weren't quite cool. So we called the housing office. That was Monday. It is still not fixed. We transferred all the food to Frank's work, but not before I ate something questionable and got some violent food poisoning. So that was fun.

By Friday morning, however, things were looking up. I took the little ones to the Living Museum to play since I didn't have the energy yet to chase them around the park. And they are best once you tire them out completely. Hence, the Museum trip. It wasn't too bad even though there were 5 school bus loads of field tripping kids (and their requisite tripping parents). It really is much easier to manage two kids at once instead of three (L listens pretty well, but somehow, the third kid still tips the balance against me)...

It went really well. We got there right at opening time, so we had the place basically to ourselves for about 40 seconds. We were able to go out on the trail to watch M run about like that proverbial chicken (except instead of simply lacking his head, he also was flapping his little hands like he was simultaneously hyperventilating...something he does when he is really upset or happy...in this case, happy). The kids were pretty enthralled by the foxes who were playing tag and by the coyotes who were howling along with a fire truck and ambulance that whizzed by on the freeway.
We came back in and played at the log for a little while. We tried to shoplift the possum and her baby (they are stuffed animals, don't worry). Generally, I think it was a good morning. I didn't lose my temper once...not even when we got stuck in the gift shop for 30 minutes (them taking all the animals out, me putting them back...think that Lucille Ball routine where she starts stuffing the chocolates into her mouth, bra, apron, etc trying to keep up with an impossibly fast conveyor belt)...so I thought I'd share these photos and some videos with you...Enjoy!

Hey, and don't worry, we didn't steal a single thing (neither accidentally nor by design)...

This can't be safe...

"Mikey run fast!"

"Whee!!!"

And this is what happens when your camera has a time delay and Mikey runs the stroller into your shins.

So yesterday I was in a funk, contemplating the finite nature of human kind, the vastness of the universe, and my lack of decorating abilities (my thoughts are rarely related...I was thinking of dear friends who are facing a difficult time in their lives while I was hanging pictures on the wall...crookedly). After a few rain showers, the children were beginning to behave like wild animals so Frank suggested we take them outdoors and let them run (I think his actual words were, "I'm going on a walk if nobody else is!!!"). Anna insisted on bringing her pink baby stroller (want to start a war??? Just give the toddlers of the opposing countries different colored strollers and see how long it takes violence to erupt). Of course, Mikey needed a stroller. Luke, too.

Pretty soon, I was running after the boys with my glum thoughts (about the unfairness of life) when frank said, "Look! Dolphins!" I look to my right just in time to see a couple dolphins surfacing in the cove right off the board walk. I watched them for a few minutes (I am a dork about dolphins and all animals...I get all giddy and enthralled), getting lost in their wild beauty, feeling comforted by their existence. It was almost like they arrived just in the middle of my funk to point out that we are not IT in the world. There are lives out there that we cannot imagine nor control. I started feeling a little comforted.

Suddenly, I looked up and noticed that Mikey was pretty far away, fighting Anna for the pink stroller. Thankfully, Anna decided she'd rather ride (I got to carry the discarded blue stroller) while Mikey pushed her. Luke was charging about all over the place, re-enacting the race scenes from the movie Cars (only he re-writes it so that the King always wins. Because he's blue). I kept thinking (as I ran around trying to get a decent picture) that it probably wasn't smart to let the toddler ride in a stroller that was rated for a baby doll, but hey, it was cute and nobody broke any bones. You can see us in action in the video.

A Real Dinner Conversation...

Anna on the slide at the park yesterday.

Her hair is stuck to her face with snot.  Don't worry, she's taken a cue from Mommy and begun to wipe it off on her shirt whether or not Mommy  provides a tissue.

A rare, peaceful moment of brotherly collaboration.  I had to capture it on film.  Pay no mind to Anna in the background who is climbing a ladder that is clearly dangerous and beyond her physical capability...

Cute pictures, no?  That's not what this post is about.  That was our outing to the park yesterday afternoon.  Switch gears for a moment to today at about 6:30 pm.

Let me set the stage.  Mikey climbs up to the dinner table only to be told that he is not allowed to eat at the table unless he is IN his booster seat.  With the straps on.  Full out, snotty tantrum that lasts 15 minutes before Mama comes to the rescue, unstraps him, and rocks him on the couch to calm him down.  Daddy retreats to the kitchen to clean up dinner dishes...Mama eavesdrops on Anna and Luke who are eating peaceably at the table.  Here is the actual transcript:

Anna:  (babbling voice)  "Bay-uh...Ukk bay-uh??"
Luke: (mildly irritated, but matter-of-fact):  "I'm not a bear, Anna, I'm a whale."
Anna: (earnestly) "Ukk bay-uh!!!"
Luke: (annoyed) "I'm NOT a bear, Anna!!!  I'm a WHALE!  Are YOU a bear??"
Anna: "Nooo-uhhh...Anna no bay-uhh.  Anna bun-nee"
Luke: "Oh, so you're a bunny?  I'm just a whale."
Anna: "Daddy, duckie?"
Luke:  "Can you say whale?  Say whale, Anna!"
Anna: (emphatically)"Daddy duckie!"
Luke: "Say 'whale, Anna!  I'm a whale!  Say whale!"
Anna: "waayyy-uhh???"
Luke: (in a high pitched squeal) "That's right, Anna!  You said whale!  Good job, Anna!  Mama, I taught Anna how to say whale!"
Anna:  "Ukk way-uhh...Anna bun-nee."

I about died laughing.

Where we live...

The boys checking out some boats passing by...
Do you know how often I've thought about doing this again??? She likes it and it keeps her out of trouble!

Mikey up close...

"Bowp!!!" That's how he says boat...

I meant to post these pictures when they were taken....at the beginning of May (I'm not sure Frank has been here for many weekends after this). This is Fort Monroe...where we live. And this is the beach that is literally right out the back door. We've spent a lot of time out there (also, we've spent a lot of time sweeping up the sand that we've tracked in...or, in the kids' cases, trucked in). The kids really love it. We've seen dolphins in this little beach, huge skates (apparently June is their mating season...who knew?), and plenty of teeny, tiny jellyfish (haven't gotten stung this year...keeping my fingers crossed). It's like wild kingdom, the chesapeake bay edition (with the wildest creatures being the wee Marstons).

L is a bit bummed because he has yet to see any whales...he is really hoping a sperm whale (of course) will show up at some point, but he'd take some orcas or a maybe a blue whale. I am thinking of checking out those whale tours they advertise in downtown Hampton. I think he'd pass out if he actually saw some (or he'd jump off the boat to join them). For now, we both have to settle for just the sight of Luke jumping in the surf, shouting, "Look, Mama, I'm a whale BREACHING!"

An Update on Anna Fashion

Anna on our friends' trampoline with Daddy (aka Fun Daddy).  Mommy ran out to take a picture and she started yelling, "No, Mama, NOOO!!!!"  I get this look a lot...

Anna likes things that are Anna-sized.  Like this mini rocking chair and the mini-book she is reading at our dear friends' house.  She babbles as she turns the pages, saying the words she does know, and then announces, "All done" and slams it shut when she gets to the end.  One of the rare times that I was able to talk her into wearing a shirt and shorts that matched and weren't pajamas.

She waits patiently for her sticker at the end of the lesson.  She has been trained to sit and put her hands on her head.  Mikey doesn't do this.  Plus, he eats his sticker.

Gymnastics required the cow costume.  And a tiger tail.  She thinks she is a dog in this outfit.  She didn't tell me what kind of dog has TWO tails, but she couldn't go on without it.

Playing in our friends' driveway.  Note the rain boots.  One of the rare instances in which rain boots were actually justified and appropriate for the weather.

Getting ready for bed, so of course the clothes come off.  She shouts, "ANNA NE-KIDD!!!"  She likes to be naked...with rain boots on. 

Anna at the park with her friends (also 2 year old twins) in her Winnie the Pooh pajama shirt.  If it is too hot to wear the cow costume and the rain boots, you can bet she'll insist on wearing this shirt.

 

I mentioned before that Anna has strong opinions.  There is no way to illustrate this point fully in words or pictures.  You have to experience it first-hand to understand what I'm saying.  I should put it this way:  Luke knows (and uses) the phrase "like a feral cat" because of his darling, sweet sister.  When he first repeated it back to me he thought the word feral meant someone who screams really, really loudly.  Now he knows it means wild, crazy, and possibly mean cat.

This girl is a SURVIVOR.  Meaning that she can be sweet and loving (mostly to strangers and the older brother), but she'll throw Mikey under the bus if her interests are in any way threatened.  That being said, if Mikey comes under any perceived attack from other kids (read: any situation in which we have to share toys with kids she doesn't know well), she will stick up for him.  Or get Mama.  She has this peculiar habit of hoarding food in her cheeks like a chipmunk.  She has never been deprived of food, but she will shove things rapidly in her mouth whenever her brothers come up to the table to eat.  Not sure why this is her instinct, but I have brushed up on the Heimlich maneuver.

I wish I was in a more creative and witty mood, but alas, I am not.  I am being distracted by all the kids and Frank who are in the next room, under a blanket, pretending to hide from me.  I'll work on writing something more amusing next time...

Luke writes his first joke!!!!

It says TRACTOR (the R for tractor is at the end of TRUCK on the bottom row) and TRUCK

  Luke wrote this!!!  HE WROTE THIS!!!  Without looking at letters or tracing or getting help from anyone!  I was completely shocked and excited when he whipped this out.  Let me back up and say that Luke doesn't usually practice writing his letters.  He might trace a letter here or there (he has one of those spiral laminated notebooks that he can use a dry-erase marker on), but he hasn't really shown the interest in writing that he has in reading.  I have been wavering back and forth about forcing him to do more.  All of a sudden, THIS masterpiece!  I am shouting with glee!
  He would want you to know that it is one of his favorite jokes.  The old, "Why did the tractor drive on the sidewalk? Because the truck pushed him up there!"  I did have to tell him how to spell both words, but the rest was all his own work!  Clearly, a genius.  I mean, seriously.  He isn't even 5 yet!  He can read, he can write!  He can tell (not) funny jokes!  He uses the word "metamorphosis" correctly in many, many sentences.  He knows what amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and insects are.  Sometimes he even shares his toys (he's getting so much better at saying to Michael, "Can you share that with me?" instead of ripping it out of his little baby hands.  It even works at times!).  Oh, and he can do somersaults!  He is incredible!
  He's going to go places, this kid.  Maybe he'll cure cancer or be the president (I hope not) or fly airplanes like Daddy (although he says he'd rather "stay on dry land"), but he's gonna do something B-I-G!  Maybe he'll be a construction worker and live in the dump, but he'll be the best educated, most gentle worker/dump resident in history!  You guys better get his autograph now, cause he's gonna do wonderful things (although I have a feeling that he'll never be above giving hugs to all of us)...

Mikey the Goat

Earlier I said I'd expound on Mikey's goat-like tendencies so here goes...

Is he kissing the camera or trying to eat it?  One can never tell...

He ate these books...I don't mean he tore them or ripped them or whatever...he gnawed these!  These are just the ones we own...there were more from the library that we had to replace.

Things Mikey has eaten that goats might eat:

1. 
   
   Ants in Mexico (he was a year old).  He chased them through the house, laughing hysterically.
2. 
   
   A crazy looking bug that he found in the old house on Langley AFB.  I found half of it hanging out of his mouth.  It was juicy and it stunk.
3. 
   
   The neighbor's lawn.
4. 
   
   Magnolia leaves at the park (actually, a goat might know that these leaves are poisonous to animals and small children).
5. 
   
   Toilet paper!  A favorite!
6. 
   
   The aforementioned books (to include the cover of a paperback novel I bought as a present for my friend).
7. 
   
   A hamburger wrapper (but NOT the hamburger). 
8. 
   
   Clumps of Anna's hair (she was getting it cut and he was crawling around on the floor beneath her).
9. 
   
   The lint off his blanket.

Things Michael does that make me think of goats:

1. 
   
   In order to show affection, he leans on you with his upper body, pushing you about with his head.
2. 
   
   He makes goat-like noises in his throat.  Especially when he says, "MMMmmmaaaaMMMaaaa!!!!"
3. 
   
   He likes to scale great heights and leap from one precarious ledge to another (his balance is NOT goat-like, sadly for him).
4. 
   
   When facing obstacles, his instinct is to lower his head, brace his shoulders, and batter it to pieces.
5. 
   
   He was observed pulling his own hair out of his head and eating it.  Granted, goats don't have opposable thumbs, but if they did, I am sure they would eat their own hair.
6. 
   
   He can destroy anything in 9 seconds, flat (see #4).
7. He purposely walks INTO the swings at the park and just waits until he gets kicks in the head.  Not sure a goat would do this, but I do find it alarming and strange.  If anyone can figure out why he does this, please let me know.

Other animals Michael might have been in a past life:

1. 
   
   Labrador retriever puppy.
2. 
   
   Shark (he tests things by biting them).  Also, he thinks he thinks he can swim.
3. Cookie Monster.  He is a puppet, not an animal, but Mikey seems to identify with Cookie.
4. 
   
   A wrecking ball (again, not an animal, but we have called him the Human Wrecking Ball since he became mobile).

A Primer on Luke, Age 4 1/2

Luke studies his Tonka Cement Mixer book for tips on how to make the proper concrete forms for his block building...
Luke made me a seaweed lunch yesterday afternoon...my friend, Erin, said, "Luke are you making soup?" and he said, "Nope, it's a stir fry, of course" (pronounced "a corse")...

Hard at work in his "kitchen".  The bucket is a "pot boiling on the stove."

Every good cook needs a dump truck, right?

This beach is our backyard...lucky us!!  Here he is pretending to be Rosamond from the Nate the Great Books when she opens her restaurant on the beach ("Nate the Great and the Boring Beach Bag").  Rosamond is his favorite character from that series.  She is the strange girl with four cats.
.

TOP TWENTY THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT LUKE:

1. He is a construction worker.  NEVER suggest that he is not a construction worker.  If he is a good climber, do not say, "Wow, you are like a monkey on that jungle gym!"  If he says how much fun he had playing a race car game, do not say, " You are an awesome race car driver!"  If he is playing with a plastic toy lawn mower, do not suggest that he likes landscaping.  Just construction worker, 24/7 365 days a year.  You will make him cry if you make these mistakes.
2. He will never say he is tired or ask to go to bed.  He'll deny, deny, deny even if his eyelids are closing and he has no energy to open them.
3. When he grows up, he is going to live on a diet of hot dogs and chocolate ice cream.
4. If he is upset because he has to share with his siblings, he'll tell you about his impending move to the Antarctic where he will live with penguins, whales, and huge construction trucks.  He has the route all mapped out.  If Mommy is nice, she can come, too.  Antarctica is his happy place.
5. He LOVES whales.  Sperm whales, orcas, and narwhals top the list, but any whale will do.  All whales are wonderful, even if they eat penguins (which are another favorite animal).  Curiously, he does not like sharks precisely because they eat penguins.
6. No matter what, he will be getting up at 6 am.
7. He is partial to cats.  He will have 5 named Jack, Max, Pilchard, Dozer, and Socks.  He's not sold on the idea of a dog.
8. He likes to combine his interests.  For instance, he will say, "I am a strange whale" meaning he is simultaneously pretending to be Rosamond and a whale.  Or "I'm just a monkey with a tool belt living in Antarctica!"  You get the idea.
9. He is planning on having 12 babies and living in the dump.  He is not worried about the stench because he is going to clean it up (duh, Daddy!) and make all the babies wear hard hats so they can be safe.  He has their names picked out already (Oliver, Tree, Jack, Max, Morgan, Annie are the few I can remember off the top of my head.)
10. He is going to marry his friend, Emma, because "she is a really nice girl."  He was a little sad that he can't marry Mommy (his default was Anna, but I told him we discourage inbreeding in our family).  Not sure how Emma feels about the house at the dump situation.
11. He can read!  He loves to read everything and is very curious about words and signs.
12. He loves to rhyme.  Rhyming will turn his mood around in a pinch.  Be careful, though...his favorite word is truck.  Yes, he did come up with THAT word one day.
13. His best friends are Owen and Emma.  Owen is moving in a week and a half.  Emma will probably move in a year.  Sad!
14. He is ALWAYS up for a hug and a kiss.  Seriously, he is the sweetest, most gentle nearly-5 year old boy on the planet.  Even his teachers say so!
15. He has a vast vocabulary.  He can identify any construction vehicle and talk intelligently about tools and their uses. Also, he regularly says, "In this case" and "Actually... I'm a sperm whale".  He gets that from hanging out with Mama (Daddy is delighted that he picked up my quirks).
16. If you have a home repair job, he will help you do it.  Enthusiastically.  With his hard hat on his head, of course.  You will not be able to refuse his help.
17. He is the sweetest big brother ever.  If the younger ones are upset, he'll reach over, hold their hand and say, "Don't be sad, Mikey, Anna.  It's going to be alright."  He routinely says to me, "Don't be mad, Mama, I'm going to hug you from sad to happy!"
18. He truly believes Band-Aids and hugs fix every problem (I wish this would stay true forever in his life).
19. He has a ridiculous memory.  He will remember a book and its plot that we read two years ago just by looking at its cover.
20. He likes to be the Number 2 or the 2nd in any circumstance.  He doesn't like to go first for any reason.

I hope you can get a sense how awesome this dude is.  I love him!

Sesame Street Rocks!!!

Just a boy and his dog, begging for breakfast...she speaks well enough now to say, "Ukk..shay bay-ggeee Anna." It means, "Luke, share your bagel with Anna." Anna's buddy, Mia, at the USO show...

Elmo and Crew get down! Mikey was totally, totally wrapped up in this dancing/music. He only got up so that he could dance, no running off. You know that is something special!

I heard about 700 people showed up...

Mikey and Owen before the show. They gave the kids free Elmo light up whirly toys (read: deadly weapons with which to torture parents and siblings) and USO bandanas at the door. Obviously, there was a man in charge of the toy selection because which Mom would ever think it was a good idea to give these toys out to a packed gym of toddlers and preschoolers? Still, it was real nice and no real blood was drawn.

Beautiful Emma.

Mikey practicing to be the Statue of Liberty. Took him a while to figure out how he was making the thing work...and yes, that is me behind him, changing Anna's poop filled diaper. Apparently she was so excited upon entering the gym (riding on my back in the Ergo carrier) that she literally pooped her pants (for the 4th time this morning, I might add).

Luke and Emma...
In this lineup we have Anna the dog, Mikey, Luke, Owen, Keira, Erin (O, K, and F's mom), and Finley...

Luke was THRILLED to go see Elmo and the gang at the Youth Center at Langley AFB today. He was a bit disappointed it wasn't called Elmo and Friends at the Work Site Driving Construction Vehicles (he did say he thought they might drive in trucks at some point). He was really happy he got to skip school (this doesn't bode well for his educational future) and even more thrilled when his buddies Owen and Emma showed up to sit with him. It was PACKED in there. The kids were nuts over their toys, but they waited patiently for the show to start. And once it did, man, they all seemed like they loved it. Nobody was more excited than Mikey and Anna. Mikey didn't run off once...he only got up to get down!!! He was doing the stiff bouncy butt shaking dance that is a Mikey trademark (no part of his upper body moves, he does shallow squats in rapid succession). He kept waving at the Elmo and Cookie (Cookie is his absolute favorite...I think they understand each other), clapping his hands randomly with his serious Mikey face.

Anna was nervous at first. Those muppets are smaller on TV!!! After a while, she slipped off my lap and sat next to "My Jen", stood up and started hopping all over the place. She absolutely freaked when Elmo came on stage the first time. Think American teenage girls in the 60s when the Beatles hit it big in the US. Jen had to put her arm out to keep her from boogey-ing off the bleachers. I think I am a little weird because when I saw how excited they were, how into the music, I got teary. It took all I had not to cry (even as I write this I get teary). I just love seeing their joy so much. It can be a little frustrating doing these things with 3 little ones, but man, when you see their happy faces, for me, it is absolutely worth it. I'm glad we got the opportunity to do this.

Luke did like it, too. He even got over the lack of trucks and truck-like machines. I kid you not, his favorite part was when the girl that travels with the show came out and introduced the show. He is now in his room during Quiet Time, pretending to be her with his new Elmo toy as his microphone. He is also practicing counting down from 10 (she did it from 5 to start the show).

Before lunch, he was organizing the other two and assigning roles so they can put on their own Elmo show. Anna was Elmo, Michael was Cookie. He, of course, was the MC. They counted down from 5 (babies saying, "too tree!" because that's all they know) and then Luke said, "It's the Elmo show" while Anna shouted, "ANNA SHOW!!!" Mikey jumped up and down a few times and then started kicking his legs behind him. I love these kids!

Daddy better rest up because he's in for a real treat when he gets home!!!

Thundershowers in the PM...and I'm talking about Luke!

Anna at breakfast. What's that she's wearing, you ask? The girl is SPECIFIC about wardrobe decisions and REFUSED to take her clothes from yesterday off at bed time last night. I am quick enough now to realize which battles truly need to be fought and which battles are not worth the time and energy it requires endure to an hour-long Anna feral cat-like tantrum. She agreed to wear the long sleeved, footy pajamas when I agreed to put her play clothes back on over them, win-win. Hooray! She is strong willed, you might say. I think it's good. Maybe she'll find some small country to take over when she grows up. She'll probably be a mostly benevolent dictator (although everyone in her country will have to wear Winnie the Pooh shirts or Dalmatian dog costumes)...

Mikey kicked that smoothie's butt! I took the wee ones to the Port Warwick Farmer's Market to meet up with our friends, look at local products, and listen to some music. It was about 90 degrees with no shade in sight. Smoothies were required. Mikey showed it who was boss. I found out he finds chickens intriguing, but won't test you if you say, "Stop! Chicken bite you!". Also, dude can get down to some banjo playing... Have you met our newest Luke incarnation? He is now Chico Bon Bon, the Monkey with a Tool Belt. Only his Mama didn't get him a tool belt like he asked, so he is forced to put all his tools in his pockets and then constantly bend down to pick up tools, thereby dislodging other tools like some old-time comedy routine. He took the book to school and was thrilled when they read it on the very day he brought it so all his friends would know who he was pretending to be at recess. He insists that I inform whomever calls my phone in his presence that he is indeed, Chico Bon Bon, the Monkey with a Tool Belt, and that they may call on him with their home-repair needs whether they know what the hell I am talking about or not.

Okay, so the morning started out pretty normally. I got Luke to school on time (mostly...before 8:45, anyway). I even hung the laundry out to dry before leaving the house. Got a run in at the gym, did fun stuff with the twins for a bit. Talked to another actual adult semi-intelligently. We had a playdate lined up for the afternoon with another awesome friend from school (seriously, 2 adults in one day, I didn't know what to do with myself!). Luke was SO excited. Also, exhausted from his pre-6 AM wakeup. He started unraveling about 4 pm. Showing off, being uncharacteristically defiant. We went to the beach and that is when the clouds rolled in (literally and figuratively, as luck might have it). Full out tantrum and get this, he HIT me. Well, patted me, really, but STILL. Luke has NEVER hit Mommy! Immediately, he started crying and asking for a hug and a kiss. I think the twins have had an undesirable influence on sweet, gentle Luke. After about 25 minutes of near-constant crying, he finally accepted we were not going back to the beach today (this mostly because it was pouring, thundering, etc). He heard the warning on the radio and said calmly, the tears still wet on his cheeks, "There are thunderstorms now. You have to stay away from the windows, Mama!"

All's well that end's well, however! We had an artichoke for the first time in Marston history tonight. It was a HUGE hit. What can I say? The kiddos like butter. Most of all, they like a good excuse to smear the butter on themselves and anything within arm's reach (Anna preferred to peel the leaves, swirl them in butter, and throw them surreptiously on the floor; she abstained from actual artichoke consumption). By the way, "Mommy" is Marston kid code for "napkin". In this picture, the boys are shouting, "Artichokes!" Anna is crying because of the thunder. Luke actually asked if we could have another artichoke tomorrow. He is into artichokes because someone dressed up as one for a Halloween edition of the children's series, "Nate the Great" There you have it, reading increases preschooler vegetable consumption. Mikey kept trying to actually swallow the leaves and then choking slightly on them, which didn't surprise me because he has long exhibited goat-like behaviors (that is for another post). And now I have to stop writing this to clean up all the greasy surfaces in my house.

Fountains Of Fun

Mikey likes it up the shorts. Cools him down.

Luke is behind him, cleaning off his Crocs. He kept cleaning off Anna's shoes, too. I'm not sure what his game was all about, but I wish he'd start obsessively washing the dining room table or mopping the floors with the same enthusiasm he had for rinsing his shoes off.

I can't sleep. It is almost 3 in the morning, Luke gets up at 6, but I can't sleep! Maybe I'll get sleepy if I finish this blog posting I started earlier...

Let me begin by saying that I took these pictures after a tough morning with Mikey. A lot of crying, some slapping, some kicking, some time spent sitting alone on the Step.

I should back up and explain this. Often, I get idea to do something that any other sane person could see isn't going to end well. Or start well. For example, I determined last Saturday was Take the Kids to the Beach and Have Fun If It Kills Us Day. Never mind that we were exhausted from driving to Richmond and back the day before. Or the strong winds blowing sand in our faces and toys off down the beach (sadly for Luke, they blew into the ocean, never to be recovered). Or that Mikey gets really, really, really pissed when he is taken some place where winds will blow foreign objects into his face. A normal person would assess the situation, the howling baby wiping his eyes with his sandy hands, throw up her hands and say, "Not going to happen today." Did I do that?

Nope, I was determined to prove I could take the kids to the beach, husband or no husband, winds or no winds, and have a good time! I could single-handedly put up a shade tent from Target while watching the aforementioned children and preventing squabbles and possible drownings. Did I mention the wind? Too bad nobody was taping me on the beach that day...we might have won the grand prize from America's Funniest Home Videos. The shade tent blew away a couple times, blew inside out like an umbrella, and Mikey went on a hitting spree before I grudgingly accepted it was too much. I packed it up and dragged the kids home, fuming and shouting at the startled (Luke, who had been happily building a work site for whales) and equally angry kids (Mikey just thrashing whatever came closest...Anna crying because I wasn't carrying her).

To make up for all the yelling and the ridiculous tantrum throwing that morning (the worst of which were mine), I took the kids to Coliseum to play in the fountains after their nap. The boys had fun in the water. Ms. Anna-pants pretended she was afraid of the water and made a game of alternately running to me and running away from me. It was okay. Then Mikey started sprinting around the sidewalk toward the traffic whizzing by. I felt...overwhelmed. I chased him back to the play area (his mistook this for a game, which he repeated gleefully) and I could feel my anger mounting to surprisingly virulent levels.

I wish I could say watching Mikey and Luke frolicking about brought me much needed perspective, but it didn't. I was still so angry because "This Wasn't Going the Way It Was Supposed to Go" that I snapped and barked at everyone until bedtime. It was only after the twins were asleep and I was cuddled up next to little Luke that I apologized to Luke for being crabby. He said, "Let's just stay home tomorrow and not go anywhere, okay, Mama? Just you and me." After a brief pause, he added, "And Michael and Anna, too."

Then I got it. It is a familiar struggle in my experience of motherhood. I feel I have to accomplish something Out There. Along the way, I have determined that what happens in the realm of my home isn't adequate. It is less meaningful, less enriching than what happens outside it. I feel like I have to take the kids to some event, to a cultural happening, a parade, a festival, whatever else is available or else they might miss out. In short, I put WAAAY too much pressure on myself to keep things interesting that I forget WE are what makes life wonderful. WE are the show, the zoo, the lesson, the experience worth having. Just us. We are Enough.

Happy Mother's Day!

Luke conquers the tortoise... She is SHRIEKING with glee, "Choco, Mama, Choco!!!" Girl gets a little excited about food. Like her Mama.

Mikey is a bit more subdued and serious when consuming copious amounts of sugar.

Luke kept saying, "How did I get this chocolate ice cream?" and "Why did you get this for me?" I think the repetition adds to his enjoyment of this rare treat.

Frank was in Boise doing some important training, so we started our day by heading to the Norfolk Zoo with our awesome friends, the Paganos. I meant to take a whole bunch of photos, but really, there is no way to do that while chasing Mikey and keeping Anna from completely dominating her friends' mom, Jen (who she has lately begun referring to as "My Jen"). I did manage to snap this photo of Luke riding a brass turtle.

We had lunch with the girls and then headed home...not five minutes out of the parking lot, I had three sleeping kiddos. So I bit the bullet and decided to continue on to the Williamsburg Outlets to return a shirt I had to return away (this way I'd get more than a 10 minute nap and 3 horribly cranky kids out of the deal). It wasn't so bad...I got to listen to music I actually liked in the otherwise silent car...the kids snoozed and woke up in the outlet parking lot. Because it was Mother's Day and we all hate shopping (especially shopping with a double stroller amid throngs of people), we stopped at Ben and Jerry's and got ice cream. Whoever said money can't buy happiness was wrong because money can buy chocolate ice cream!!! And these kids are nothing if they aren't supremely happy with some chocolate ice cream in their hands!