While were off track....

It's been 11 full days of off track life.  We are nearly halfway through.

Yeah!

My ever demanding boys have been ever demanding these days.  It seems that they are no longer cutting me any slack as the mom with a baby.  They are in full demand of projects, and arts and crafts, and popcorn.  Lots and lots of popcorn.

Here's just a little taste of what we've been up to.

They swiffered yesterday for 20 minutes each. The cleanest my kitchen floor has been in ages.

They camped out to watch, "The brave little toaster" one of the most mindnumbingly boring children's movies ever...except "Totoro". They were however, completely silent and glued to the television for almost 90 minutes. For that, thank you brave little toaster.

Spiderman is ready for the holiday. The boys are super into superheroes lately. But, they both cannot be a super hero at the same time. One of them will be, oh, superman and the other? He must be scooby doo. Have you ever seen Scooby shoot out webs and fly between buildings? I have.

Checked air pressure.

Selling t-shirts for a basketball fundraiser at the home games. They are pretty persuasive little sells people.

Loving on that sweet baby brother of theirs.

We've also seen the return of the summer failure: Mom School. Yes, my 5 year old is so desperate for kindergarten that we've broken out all our workbooks, lined paper, left-handed scissors and gotten to work. We've done hard math problems and read lots and lots of books. It's been awesome.

And, we've done some super cool and easy art projects. This one only took some milk, food coloring and some dish soap. It kept us busy off and on for the entire day.

Good Evening....

Not the most flattering photo of my little squishy, but he does bear an uncanny resemblance to a certain horror/suspense film director of the 1950's and 60's.

Hello Baby Hitchcock.

Are you afraid of birds?

We need a little Christmas, right this very minute....

The trees are up

The Christmas cards have been mailed

A few presents have been wrapped

The big guy and his lady have been talked to

The first of many parties has been attended and the first gifts have been received

The scented pinecones are on display

And the letters to Santa have been written.

I guess all of this means that we're ready for Christmas. 

Year Round School

November 30 was Elliott's last day of school for the year.  He's on a year-round elementary school schedule and on "B" track.  This means that he started school on August 2 and went until the end of August.  He then had three weeks off starting September 10 - right when we brought home a new baby.  Those three weeks - new baby, recovery, health scares with blood pressure, 3 year old and anxious 5 year old with no school every day made for a pretty anxiety ridden life cocktail.  As soon as he went back to school, it felt like life finally started to find it's "normal".  Elliott was in school all of October and November and now he has 4 weeks off of school.  He goes back right after new years in January, has a three week break in March, a two week break in May and then graduates from Kindergarten on July 2.  He then has three weeks off and starts first grade at the end of July.

As soon as she went back on track in October, I swore to myself that I'd be more prepared for off-track this time.  Today is the 4th day he's been home all day and today is okay.

Monday was hard, but Wyatt went to school and my in-laws fixed me dinner.

Tuesday brought me to tears.  It was the hardest, longest, day I'd had in months.  It was also day two of a sweet little baby not having a nap.  What little soul can nap with all the screaming and chaos his older brothers create.  I think both Quinn and I were ready to throw the big boys into the garbage can.

Wednesday was stressful, but the baby had a 90 minute nap.  Score!

Thursday, today, we're doing better.  But in just the morning I made them clean their rooms, make their beds, vacuum the entire upstairs, clean up their toys, and do mom school, which included hard math problems.

Our home has been so loud and chaotic and up until today, it looked like some one had broken in and ransacked the joint.  The big boys have no volume control and scream and fight and wrestle and kill each other in an ebb and flow pattern that makes me think the tide is coming in.  They build and destroy.  They jump on beds and almost sprain their ankles.  They hit and claw.  They play and love each other.  They both look at being home every day as if someone (the other) is invading their territory.  It's been like living in the brain of someone who is bi-polar.  These boys of mine are complete opposites and though they get along really well with each other, when they don't, it's out of control.

Having a very smart and capable 5.75 year old at home every single day, when he should be at school learning, demanding every ounce of my attention, recognition, praise, and affection is so hard.  Elliott is such a good help.  I love him so much.  Quinn LOVES him and Elliott will lay on the floor with his baby for a lifetime talking to him, tickling him, and singing softly.  But, he is a little boy that struggles to invent his own games and activities.  Wyatt will lay on the floor for hours lost in his imagination.  Elliott only finds his imagination if I tell him it's okay first.

Thank goodness its the holiday season and we have a lot going on.  Thank goodness for helpful grandparents, lots of basketball games, and a daily advent prize or activity to keep us busy.  

Other wise, just four days into off-track, I'd already be in the loony bin.

Year round school is so dumb.

Quinner: 3 months

You smile, you laugh, you talk a lot.  You have the stinkiest farts in the entire world and make me gag.

I love you!!!!

Yes, my boy, you are another month older.  I was talking to your dad the other night and said, "Right now, he's three months old.  Before I know it, he'll be 5, then 18 and on a mission.  He's growing up too fast."  Your dad, ever the practical one in our family said, "No. He isn't going to be five tomorrow."

He's right.  You'll just be three months plus one day tomorrow.

In the last month my boy you are doing amazing baby things.  Last week, we switched you officially to 9 month clothes.  You started sleeping through the night a couple weeks ago (bed time between 8:30-9:00 and up at 5:00, drink a bottle and then go back to sleep).  You are turning into a creature of habit, just like your mom and dad and it's awesome.  We figure right now, you weigh 17 pounds, you're trying to sit up all by your self when I've go you on my lap with your back to my chest, and you can pull your legs all the way off the ground and pull your butt right up with them.  It makes my abs hurt just thinking about it.

You love your brothers and they love you back times 10.  All they want to do is hold you, talk to you, rub your head, and tell me that you stink.

Have I mentioned your stinky?  Seriously kid, you have THE WORST GAS in the history of babies.  You fart louder than your brothers.  It makes us laugh a dozen times a day.

You eat your fist.

You talk to angels on the ceiling.

You like to listen to music.

You do not like to ride in the car in the dark.

The fattest part of your whole body is your thighs right where they meet your hip.  It's a good thing that fat part of your legs is covered by diaper or I might just squeeze them all day long.

You have beautiful eyelashes and your finger nails grow super fast.

I think you love me.

When you wake up for good in the morning, even though you are starving you don't cry.  You just talk in your crib.
You have a good dad who feeds you bottles at night so I get to stay asleep.  I love you dad because he does that for us.
You aren't a very good napper.  In fact, you are on a strange schedule where one day, you have no naps and the next day you sleep all day.  It's your deal so I roll with it but the no naps days are pretty exhausting for both of us and by the time dinner rolls around, you and I have both had it.

You are getting good at sitting in the bumbo chair, but your legs are too fat and it usually makes you puke.  Your brothers spend more time sitting in it than you.  They both fit better now than when they were babies.

As much as we've tried, you are not a binker kid.  You like to use mom as your pacifier and if that doesn't work, you suck on your fist and make a super loud popping sound when the suction is released.  It's pretty funny.

You have been to several Runnin' Utes basketball games now and you really have a good time.  You either spend the whole game asleep in your chair or laying on a quilt, on the row behind us, talking to the seats.  They apparently have a lot to say.

Yesterday, you went to your first Christmas party.  You slept through all the chaos until it was time to see the big guy himself.  I'm not sure what you said to Mrs. Claus to make her seem so disinterested in holding you, but a picture is worth a thousand words.  

Maybe you farted on her lap?

I love you baby!

You are my squish.  You are my smile.  You are my boy!

I don't deserve you, but I love you.