Gymnastics

I signed Syd up for gymnastics. Her friend next door, and a little boy in her class at school (who also lives nearby) signed up for the same class. They started last Tuesday, so yesterday was their second class. All three kiddos seem to love it.

***Side note: Here in northern Virginia, everyone makes buckets of money (hardy har har), so activities are a lot more expensive than they were in south Mississippi. Also, there are a lot more "sessions." For example, at Sydney's dance school in MS, there was a fall session (which was the entire school year) and a summer session. Here, there seem to be two sessions per season, so about eight sessions a year. It seems a little over the top to me, but a brilliant way for a company to keep the money rolling in.***

I have not driven Sydney to gymnastics yet. There's this brilliant little thing called carpooling, which seems to be quite popular around here (or maybe it only seems popular because I finally have a child old enough to be part of one). The little boy's mom has taken all three kids both weeks, because her son is a little hesitant in new situations. I imagine I will land pick-up duty before too long (the drop off time is during Lor's nap). Oh, and parents are not allowed to watch, which is why I couldn't care less who drives the carpool (parents are only allowed to watch the very last class on June 17th).

Syd seems to love it, but I'm not sure if we'll make gymnastics a regular thing. I am certain she will never be an Olympic gymnast, one reason being she is too tall and lanky (am I allowed to say that?). She'll more likely end up as a ballerina or basketball player.

Here are all of the gymnastics pictures I have:

(Hydration is crucial for an hour-long preschool gymnastics session.)

Oh, and Sydney IS signed up for ballet: the second summer session. It starts after the 4th of July. I'll let you know which she likes better. 

Wednesday - Friday

I described Tuesday as "fine and rainy." It kind of was. But Wednesday? Also rainy, but definitely not fine. Rain is good, but the kind of rain that washes our full garbage cans (waiting to get emptied) down the street and forces me to chase after them in a downpour is not "fine."

However, I realize a little (or a lot) of rain is nothing compared to the devastating tornadoes that hit Mississippi and Alabama earlier this week. Tornadoes are my least favorite natural disaster -- their little-to-no-warning arrivals and unpredictable characteristics are scary.

Random confession: I'm terrified of rabbits. Our across-the-street neighbor caught us on Easter Sunday as we were leaving for Grams' house. She was going out of town for the week, and asked if we could feed her rabbit while she was gone. Of course we could! She showed me the ropes (I did not touch the rabbit at the time), and I wrote on a post-it note "Feed Rabbit" so I wouldn't forget.

Well.

On Monday I took Ford over to her house while the girls were sleeping to feed the rabbit, but I chickened out. I blamed it on not having anywhere to set Ford while I took care of Ginger (the rabbit), and decided I'd try again later.

Later the same day, while Ford was sleeping, I took the girls over to her house to try again. Surely I wouldn't chicken out while my daughters were watching. Wrong. I chickened out. Chet fed the rabbit after work for the rest of the week.

Thursday morning I attended a parent-teacher conference at Syd's school. The school was closed for the conferences Thursday and Friday (Syd doesn't go to school either of those days anyway), so that meant her friend next door (same age, same class at school) was off too. I got home from the conference around 10:30 a.m., and Livi (next door daughter), Sydney, and Lorelei played for the next two hours while Jen (next door mom), Ford, and I relaxed on the front porch (they have an amazing front porch). Yesterday was a true "May Day," not too warm, but just a little bit muggy; it was a welcome change after the rains.

Poor Ford. He seemed like he wanted to nap a little more than usual yesterday, and was fussy. Turns out he's running a little fever. I called the doctor this morning, and he has an 11:20 a.m. appointment. I'll let you know what it turns out to be.

Welcome May!

Tuesday Nothings

There are lots of random things on my mind this fine, rainy Tuesday morning (now it's afternoon, but still fine and rainy).  Sydney goes to preschool on Tuesdays (and Wednesdays), and I always like the routine that school days provide.  Although I'm still trying to figure out a good routine for us (especially on the days when we're all together, all day).  I am scared of summer vacation.

A few weeks ago Chet and I finished the series "The Office" (the American version).  We started watching it some time before he deployed, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.  I especially loved the last episode.  It provided much closure and was a little corny, but I'm a corny girl.

There are other shows we like to watch, but they are all hour-long shows.  Come nighttime, after the kids are in bed, I can never commit to an hour of TV (but I WILL watch two or three 20-minute shows...hmm)  So we started watching "Parks and Recreation," because, like "The Office," it is squirrelly (in regards to its type of humor) and each episode is only 21-minutes long.  We're only about five episodes in, but so far it's enjoyable.

Speaking of squirrelly sense of humor, can you say SYDNEY?  She finds humor in off-the-wall things, which makes her, well, off-the-wall, and sometimes a little inappropriate (but what 4-year old isn't inappropriate?).  This also makes her special, and I can totally identify with her sense of humor, so I find myself genuinely laughing at things she points out. I am guiding her in understanding when it's NOT okay to laugh (like when her friend falls on the ground while wearing roller skates, it's NOT because the friend is using slap-stick comedy to get a laugh out of Sydney).

How unflattering and ridiculous is this picture?

We usually have pancakes on Saturday mornings.  I like mine a little bit raw.  Chet has perfected the raw pancake, just for me.

At the end of January I had my hair colored darker than my natural color.  I've been wanting to do this for years, and finally got around to it.  It's different, and I like it, but now my roots are starting to show, and they look gray.  (Maybe they are gray.)  The color is also fading due to the passage of time, and lightening because we are spending more time outside in the sun.  I think I just need to go lighter again...but I'm concerned my hair is going to turn red if I do.  (Nothing wrong with red, I'm just not sure I'm cut out to be a red head.)

Unrelated photos:

Lorelei was the walking wounded on Sunday, after she fell and skinned her knees on our walk home from church.

Bubby is just Mr. Handsome Pants.

Have a great Tuesday!

Baby Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit

The pink sleepsuit arrived, and well before the promised 8 pm delivery time (thank you, Amazon--the $8.99 shipping charge was worth it!). 

Ford napped in it this evening, and it only took 8 minutes of fussing/crying and me re-inserting his (new, different kind of) pacifier for him to fall asleep.

He looked quite comfortable once he fell asleep, and I was interested to find out what would happen. I often think he needs an early evening "refresher" nap, which is what this was, and I was hoping the sleepsuit wouldn't be so magic that he would think it was bedtime and sleep until 4 am, ready to go for the day.

Thankfully, he only slept about 45 minutes, which is good for an early evening nap. I had run out to CVS after he was asleep, and Chet texted me when  he woke up:

This picture may come back to haunt you, but you asked for it, buddy (by refusing to sleep). Mommy loves you.

(Stay tuned to find out whether or not the sleepsuit works at night.)

Saturday

Clever title of this post, huh?

We are headed out on an adventure this morning: to the Museum of Natural History in the National Mall, via The Metro (we have to take a bus and a rail). 

The museum opens at 10; we are catching the Metro bus about a block away from our house at 9:53, loaded down with three kids, two different baby carriers, two strollers, a million snacks, and Xanex (not really). 

I'll let you know how it goes.

Here's an unrelated picture:

Bubby is as big as Sydney. 

And don't go assuming our children are always quiet and still and well-behaved as Chet reads. Not the case at all--I got lucky with this shot. Usually Lorelei has Sydney in a choke hold while Sydney knees Lorelei in the back. And it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. Which is, on average, every five minutes.

Happy Saturday!

Sleep, Baby, Sleep

Ford is learning how to sleep.  Not very well, but we've at least started somewhere.

Without getting into too much detail (because I'm not in the mood), I'll just let you know he's been sleeping in our bed since the move.  Long story short, he's used to falling asleep while nursing, and nursing whenever he wants throughout the night.

Honestly, it worked pretty well for both of us until recently.  He (and I) likes his own space, and there's just not enough space in our queen-sized bed for all three of us.  So, two nights ago, I decided to cold turkey start putting him in his crib to sleep.  We have a Moses basket that I could have put him in, but I didn't want to have to deal with another transition (from Moses basket to crib) a few weeks down the road. 

So here we are.

He did alright two nights ago.  Woke up about every three hours to eat and went back to sleep each time, waking up for good about 9:15 a.m.  A small problem was that we still swaddle him at night, and he rolled over from his back to his tummy (still swaddled) several times.  I think that may be why he slept so well, but I'm just not comfortable with him sleeping on his belly swaddled.  (I can deal with him sleeping on his belly unswaddled though.  The only problem is, he can't get there on his own...the fact that he was rolled up like a burrito and on a firm crib mattress is the only reason he was able to roll all the way over onto his tummy in the first place.)

So last night I decided to test what was truly important to him: being swaddled or sleeping on his belly.

He's not ready to sleep unswaddled.  I tried putting him to bed earlier than usual (around 7 p.m.) unswaddled (but still wearing his Halo Sleep Sack).  He would not have it.  Even on his belly, he hated it.

Since that option was out, I decided to place him on his side (a position he likes) within the sleep positioner (to help him stay on his side, because he does not seem to prefer sleeping flat on his back).  He woke up every two hours all night long, and would only go back to sleep after nursing.

I was frustrated, to say the least.

Babies are hard to figure out their entire first year of life.  They change so quickly, and when they do something "out of the ordinary," you have no idea if it's because they're teething, going through a growth spurt, or just plain crazy.  Yes, babies are crazy. 

So, at 4:45 a.m., when I was up feeding Ford for the third time, I bought him his very own Baby Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit.  And because I was so desperate to have one as soon as possible, I paid the $8.99 in shipping to Amazon for a guaranteed delivery of Saturday night, and ordered him...the pink one.  Because they were out of blue and yellow, and Mama will do anything to help you learn how to sleep as soon as possible. 

Easter 2014

We had a lovely Easter Sunday, and hope that y'all did too!

Saturday we did a small egg hunt in our backyard and gave the girls their Easter baskets.

In Sydney's basket: Dora band aids, new toothbrush, three "easy reader" books, the movie "Tangled"
In Lorelei's basket: Dora band aids, new toothbrush, a Dora umbrella, a new book

Bubby had this bear in his Easter basket.  He seriously loves it, and chews on its head like there's no tomorrow.

 

Easter morning we walked to the Methodist church down the road.

I carried Ford, and he fell asleep on the way.

We came home quickly after church to have a snack, re-pack the diaper bag, and grab the lemon poppyseed cake that I made to take to Grams' house for Easter lunch/dinner.  (Grams is the lovely woman who lives in Severna Park, MD, near Annapolis, who so graciously opened her home to us while we were going to school at the Academy.  I LOVE that we live closer to her now, and hope to visit her at least once a month while we are stationed here.)

Random picture of Lorelei, between church and Grams' house

 Playing on Grams' deck:

Happy Easter!