Lift and Push Duty

At this stage in parenting 4under3, the 5 to 7 o'clock stretch is the most wild, demanding, hectic, and thunderous time of our day. Some of you may be able to relate to having a famished toddler hanging on your leg while you're trying not to char the goulash or spaghetti sauce. Or you possibly know, or remember, what that time of day does to babies who can't verbalize yet that they just want to sit on your hip...until bedtime.

The other night we decided to try and avoid a tiring supper time by going out to a Chuck E. Cheese knock-off type restaurant. We liked the idea of ordering someone else to cook our food and letting the kids run their energy off in the mesh enclosed towers and skytubes. And by far, I liked the idea of someone else cleaning up the dried-on pizza sauce and pureed peach and rice mixture from the table.

It was great to be able to eat with my Marvelous.. and in silence to the loud pounding techno coming from the speakers, while watching Julia help Luke up the platforms. She would lift him up at his knees and push him onto the next platform while she followed. His almost-2-year-old body was a couple inches too short to lean over and jump up himself. As much work as it looked for Julia to lift a body, a couple pounds shy of her own, up 5 or 6 levels, she didn't seem to mind it at all.

The best part, though, was hearing this conversation between Julia and a "new friend" at some point during her lift and push duty.

Cutie 4-5'ish-year-old: "Hey, you want to come this way with me? We should go down the slide?"

Julia: "Ok." (jumping up to the top platform leaving Luke on one below)

Luke: (silence. staring....and I'm sure wondering what he's going to do now)

Julia: (looking back at him, realizing he's not coming)
"Wait! I can't! I need to help my brother."
(so she jumps back down and resumes the lift and push duty)



...off they ran through the tubes, together. And who knows where her "new friend" went.

He Can't Get Away From It

Julia's Top Ten Enjoyments at the Zoo.

10. trying on the wetsuit and flippers

9. all the "Dory" fish

8. Ice Cream

7. Sun Bear

6. Monkeys

5. Sharks

4. Flamingos

3. Dolphins

2. Leopard

and the #1 Enjoyment for Julia at the Zoo...

being able to grab Luke's ear all day long, with no complaint from him.

(...being that he was way too distracted by all the excitement.)

Bordomaniacs

There was no fun to be had at our house today.

...just a ball full of boringness and uneventful excitementless humdrum.

If our walls could talk they'd vouch that from 9a-9p much of nothing went on. They'd say "ho, hum." while twiddling their thumbs.

The air sat as if it had sipped on a decaf Litenote all day. The energy lacked as an under emphasized adagio movement. This left room for serious bordomaniacs.

The only liveliness that seemed to go on here was the sound of the wind hitting our windows and the heater occasionally kicking on and off......boring. mind-numbing. bore.

Why?


Well, we weren't home....

How Thou I Love Thee?

Not just because he surprised me with this...

(Chicken Oriental Salad with the SAUCE.ON.THE.SIDE. Along with the appetizer sampler.)

or this for the kids...

(Macaroni-n-cheese, their FAVORITE.)

or even this....

(I carry them around the house with me.)

But because of this...

..that, and he's a really good kisser.

A Helpful Smile in Every Aisle

Today my...
"half hippie, half organic, I-grow-my-own-Kiefer-on-my-countertop-while-fermenting-every-vegetable-from-my-garden, hidden amish attributes girlfriend" came to visit us for the day.

Feeling the need to present my "raw apple cider vinegar fanatic" an impressive meal, I carefully researched for a non-pesticidal, non-sewage sludge menu.

I decided on a perfectly processed sandwich atop flax oat bread and this pilaf as a side.

After I jotted down my needed ingredients for the pilaf, I gathered the big kids and headed out to our nearby HyVee. Quinoa, pronounced keen-wa, topped my list yet ended up being the last crossed item. Where...better yet...WHAT is Quinoa?

Scanning aisle after aisle with no luck, I found a dedicated stocker boy. "Excuse me? Could you show me where your "keen-wa" is? By the response on his face, I then agreed that "these people really do stand by their moto." A friendly smile in every aisle is exactly what he gave me.

We followed him out of the organic section, past the floral department and into the pharmacy. As we neared the end of his chosen aisle he pointed, "There you go miss, top shelf."

Confused and a little concerned for what it really was that I was supposed to be putting in my pilaf, I looked over to see a well lined row of.....KY Jelly. Tingling Ultragel, Sensual Mist, and the row went on.

Keen-wa, KY. A reasonable communication glitch.

Long story short, the big kids and I did find our Quinoa, our stocker boy showed wonderful enthusiasm for his job that day, and our pilaf was a fabulous hit.

A Birthday Party...and You're Invited!

Someone is having a birthday HERE and there's an extended invitation for us all to join in the party. For the special occasion, they're giving away a "present" and it could be to you. It really couldn't be any easier, all you have to do is go on over, then click on "February Giveaway," they'll greet you at the door and tell you all about it.

Good luck! I'll be there...stationed next to the dessert table, with my kazoo and party hat. Hurry, before the white cake and chocolate ice cream is gone.

Sleep Number by Select(ed) Comfort

Hi, this is Norah.
...and, I'm Hazel.

And, our Sleep Number is 2.

We've selected this as our "Preferred Slumber Setting."

This number allows for an ideal sleeping arrangement which includes maximized body warmth, soothing breathing patterns, and constant ateasement, giving us the best day and night time sleep possible.

There's no need for a Duvet-style pillow top or a Dual Foam Layering System, just position us next to eachother allowing for an easy grab of hands. This creating an incomparible soft and luxurious sleep array will send us into dreamland with two sighs of relief.

If you misposition us within our crib, we'll readjust...eventually making our way to our preferred twinzone.

What's your Selected Comfort?

*Preferred TwinZone and Constant AtEaseMent are registerred trademarks of 4under3's multiple line. The information within this post is provided "as precious" with warranty of all "cutie kinds." Whether expressed or implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranty of "adorable merchantibility" stands true.

This thing called a...

blaawg.

Some husbands people don't understand the satisfaction...nor the essential need of it... that this online-free-to-the-public chronicle brings. However, I call it my "Retreat From the Busyness."

After opening up my rambling mind to the keyboard almost every day, that simple click on the perfect little "publish post" button sends a shock wave of achievement throughout my body. It is here where I journal of day-to-day experiences and connect with other "bloggy friends."

Thanks to the kids, dogs, moms, husbands, etc. out there who create noteworthy experiences that are then put to script, I've laughed, cried, and sat in amazement through some wonderfully put posts.

Thank you bloggers. All 112 Million of you.

(Ok, I don't frequent them all.)

1. You make me laugh, Mckmama.
2. You make it so easy to imagine just how sweet your little girl is, Rachel.
3. You have a hilarious husband, Stacey.
4. Your little boy has found the perfect spot, Shelly.
   
5. You have some handsome ones on your hands, Leslie.
   
6. You found a great one, Amy.
   
7. You made me tear up, Kim.
8. You got a great shot, Ehlan.
   

Smooth Strollin'

1.Alarm at 6:20. Shower. Hair. Makeup. Dressed.
2.Greet Julia in kitchen at 7. Pour her and Luke's bowl of cereal and glasses of milk, peel banana, vitamins.
3.Warm bottles for the girls. Prep rice cereal and pureed squash.
4.Go wake Lukie at 7:15. He's so funny. Squeeze and tickle him all the way to his booster seat.
5.Go wake girls up. They are usually awake, rolling around in their crib, "talking" to eachother.
6.Put girls in their chairs with bottles. Feed them their cereal.
6.5 Do Julia's hair at the table. Have her put on the clothes set out for her.
7.After breakfast. Big kids up stairs to "entertain" themselves. Toy of choice-blocks.
8.Sponge bath the girls on the livingroom floor. Change diapers and into clothes.
9.Prep MOPS bottles for the girls. Diaper bag and purse out to car.
10.Clean up kitchen. I can't stand coming home to a messy kitchen.
11. Change Luke
12. Start car.
13. Lay out coats. Julia gets ready and chases Luke around trying to help him.
14. I help Luke with his coat.
15. Girls in their carseat carriers.
16. Luke in car first. Followed by baby #1. Followed by Julia. Followed by baby #2.
17. Kid check. Seatbelt check. Double Stroller check.
18. Out the driveway at 8:45. Right on time.

This is becoming a great, smooth running routine. We're all happy, excited for MOPS, and pumped to be getting out of the house. After a refreshing time with my group, "Becky's House," we voyaged to McDonald's playland. A first as a "full family." It couldn't have gone any better. Phew...

Added bonus-Daddy surprised us there, even though he said he couldn't make it.

These Little Piggies.

Last fall we I decided that Julia was to follow in her momma's footsteps and sport the short hairstyle for awhile. We asked for a cutie "Bob" leaving her light brown locks even with her little button chin and a slight wedge in back.

After hair flinging and ta-da singing, that's what we got. Complete cuteness! A style that complimented each of her precious, girly features. Neck. Nose. And all.

As much as I loved adorning her new 'do with barrets and ouchless bands to hold her bangs out of her eyes, I missed pulling her hair back in pigtails. The wedge prohibited this.

Well. Six months later, I'm here to say...Welcome back little piggies!

What to Do? Part 2

1. Breakfast at Brother's with Mr. Marvelous. Thank you "Country Mess." You left me satisfied. Your hasbrowns, tomato, onion, sausage, egg and toast was fulfilling. Oh, and the pancake on the side was a perfect stand-in for the cherry on top. I was hungry ok??!?! When I get a chance to eat my food without 4under3..I go all out.

2. Library to borrow these books:

• The New Dare to Discipline
• The New Strong Willed Child
• Bringing Up Boys

3. Coffee shop for a sweet, caramel, nutty, treat paired with one of my new books in a comfy chair next to the crackling fire. I'm a big fan of free therapy.

4. Take a coffee to go and drop it off at a friends for a quick and fun surprise.

5. Grocery store to get some necessities, chicken noodle soup for Mr. Under the Marvelous Weather, and formula. 8 cases/32 quarts of this will fill the girls' tummies for the next month.

6. Savers for a couple Dr. Seuss books. Have I told you that hidden deep within I have a weakness for children books?

What to Do, What to Do?

...when you're 4under3less for 2 entire days?

You could start out with this....









Then move on to this...










With a bunch of friends here...


Then you could talk 1 marvelous husband and 2 wonderful husbands into escorting to a dreamy, amorous, 27 Dresses, chick flick, highly packed with nothing but romance and 100% estrogen.

Tiniest Teether

**4 teeth already! At this age, our oldest two showed no signs of any.