Play Ball!

Last night my mom organized a huge family fun outing to end our Michigan vacation, a night at the Great Lakes Loons game. It's a new (since we moved 8 years ago) minor league team in Midland and we hadn't seen them play yet. We left all three boys at my in-law's (thank you for the free babysitting!) and had a mini-date together for dinner and headed to the ballpark where both my sisters, four of my nieces and nephews, three of my grandparents and my parents waited. What a blast! Despite a low scoring game, it was a perfect cool breezy Michigan summer evening, the kind hubs and I spent together the summer we fell in love. Just a couple hours away from the kids and we felt a bit like our old selves again, even stopping at 7-11 for a Slurpee like the good ol days. Apparently, a Loons game is the place to be because we ran into so many people we knew it was like a blast from the past; even one of hubs' high school friends recognized us! The best part was spending time with our family. Here's my favorite pic of the night- me with three of my grandparents. That's my maternal grandfather, after whom M was named. A truly wonderful man. I just kissed him good-bye. I know I won't get to do it forever so I do it every time I can. Thanks for a good time, Mom!

Change of Heart

What I was going to write - a thesis on living in poop purgatory thanks to my three very poopy sons - I'm not. Because so many of my friends would give their right arm to have what I have: three healthy (pooping) sons. The period of infertility I experienced pales in comparison to the heartache of multiple miscarriages; so many of my friends I cannot count. I learned of yet another one today. For my friends I pray that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard their hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6)

Adventure

The kids and I were delivering Hubs to TVC "on the way 'home'" from vacation. We couldn't check in to the hotel so we stopped at a park in Traverse City to let the boys run off some steam and so I could feed C. They walked the pier, made friends with two couples eating lunch nearby, fed the ducks their peanuts, played in the sand, rolled in the sand, dug in the sand, spun on an old school merry go round ("this is dizzy") then finally headed to the water with our new friends. M just put his toes in. N sat down in it, fully clothed. We had to make a break for it, but not before stripping N nude and literally hosing them down! Then he sat his wet bum down in the sandy pine needles and we started over, trying to get him clean enough to ride in the car. Still they were filthy, so we had to improvise with a coffee mug to bathe them in the hotel bathroom. Life with three little boys is nothing short of an adventure.

Take off!

Soon, anyhow. We are waiting for a rain storm to pass on the Tarmac, so N and I took some photos to pass the time. Here's what flying looks like for us. And the last two of N are his self-portraits;)

My Hypothesis on Mr. Poopsies

Mr. Poopsies might not be doing this on purpose.  Maybe just maybe he's got a milk sensitivity or is lactose intolerant or whatever you want to call it, so I'm going dairy-free with him for a week or two to see if this changes his stool habits.  (A "blue moon" ice cream on Sunday gave me a BIG surprise on Monday morning, triggering this hypothesis.  Sorry for the poop talk, but this is my life right now).  And if the stool becomes normal, like regular-person-normal, not what-I-thought-was-just-my-kid's-weird-body-normal, then MAYBE he'll be able to "feel" the urge to go number two and make it to the bathroom in time.  It's just a hypothesis.  Not sure if it will work, but this is the first step to finding out if it's something I've been feeding him his whole life: milk.  He loves yogurt, ice cream and milk milk milk, so I'm not looking forward to this, but I think it's worth a shot.  And don't you think this is a fantastic time to start, two days before we leave for a family vacation in MI?  I know, not really, but if my hypothesis is correct, then he might come home a changed man.  Doubly so if his older boy cousins can convince him to "go" standing up (Daddy's tried, believe me).  Maybe he'll listen to a kid.  Isn't that what kids do, ignore mom and dad and do what their older cousins do?  

I'm feeling a bit more sane and patient with him, keeping in mind that there might be a physical reason he can't go, as opposed to, he's trying to kill me with his stubbornness.  

Sweet Mr. Poopsies

Back to packing for 5 people and figuring out who is going to water my flowers and mow my lawn because the neighbor kids' mom just said no.  (Sigh) I'll keep you updated with the iphone and flood you with pictures when we get back - and I have time to upload. 

You stay classy, San Diego.

Super Why Oh Why

I'm not sure what to call this post and I have only 10 minutes until Super Why is over to write it, but I just have to say that this parenting twin 3 year olds and a newborn business is tough to put it lightly.  One poops in his pants, one won't go to sleep and stay in his bed, and one is a perfect angel.  Can you guess which is which?  If you've been reading at all, you know who is who.  My poor hubs was kind and caring as I had a breakdown last night - all I want is for my kids to eat, and sleep,and poop...LIKE CIVILIZED HUMANS.  Is that too much to ask?  yes, dear, it is.

Then today one of them was taking himself to the bathroom at 4am.  He even turned the light on.  All I did was check on him because I heard some racket and saw the light in the hall.  He put himself back to bed and when he woke up in the morning, his pull up was dry.

Then Mr. Poopsies who is drives me to tears almost daily with his multiple poops a day in his pull up, swimsuit, diaper, whatever just so happens to be on his bottom and his absolute refusal to go number two on the potty- woke up with a dry pull up and then went to the bathroom COOPERATIVELY. Number one, I should add, but still, it's a miracle.

Of course, C woke up all smiles and feed me Seymore after 10.5 hours of sleeping through the night. Thank you God for an angelic baby. 

I only wrote you the good stuff.  A lot of other insanity happened and if you're an MVMOM you can read it on Big Tent - needing some twin mommy advice with the bedtime crazies. 


I don't normally send you links, but you've got to read this hilarious article.  Hilarious because it's not my kid, but almost.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glennon-melton/putting-kids-to-bed_b_1536221.html?ref=parents

Super Why is over now so I have to stop.  I guess the dry pull ups this morning was a gift from God reminding me that one day this insanity will end. Super Why Oh Why with the poop and bedtime insanity?!

What's Your Favorite Part of the Day?

M just asked N. I jumped up to snap this shot. They are eating Hi-C/OJ Popsicles together in their "house," discussing today's events and watching Daddy mow. The question is what Daddy asks them at bedtime when he tucks them in, so it's sweet and special that they are using it to converse together. Of course, before I finished typing, the moment ended and N dumped over Hubs' grass clippings container all over the lawn and got yelled at. I guess that was N's answer!