tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-110376752024-03-07T12:23:30.758-08:00Desperately Seeking Baby...Babies FoundMy thoughts on raising twins and a singleton after infertility.seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.comBlogger893125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-11660551252349328772011-12-30T08:34:00.001-08:002011-12-30T08:36:09.385-08:00Book Blogging & Family BloggingHey there - if you are interested in reading my book "reviews" - please go to my other blog...<br /><br /><a href="http://heathercim.wordpress.com/">http://heathercim.wordpress.com/</a><br /><br /><br />Also, I think I'll be just updating everything on my other blog, so be sure to go over there from now on. It is just too much to keep up both blogs!<br /><br /><a href="http://http://heathercim.wordpress.com/">http://heathercim.wordpress.com/</a><br /><br />See you there!seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-20464052825898059202011-09-23T15:18:00.000-07:002011-09-23T15:25:40.369-07:00Just a quick updateI thought I would write a little update since I don't have much time and it has been a while.<br /><br />Benjamin informed me last night that he is no longer going to play with dolls because boys don't play with dolls. I told that boys can play with dolls - that it is o.k. and he said that no, he just isn't going to play with dolls.<br /><br />Ella asked me if she could be a kitty for Halloween. She also drew a picture and told me it was o.k. for me to take to work. :-D I thought Ella was doing better with going poo on the potty. She actually went while in Spokane in a restaurant bathroom all on her own doing, but yesterday, she had an accident at school. It wasn't really an accident as I know she knows what she was doing. UGH! Someone please tell me what to do!<br /><br />Nicholas is now embracing his name and telling people that it is name rather than saying his name is Footy or Nick. He also tells people that he is two.<br /><br />I am recovering from having my gall bladder removed on the 8th. It was an outpatient surgery though I did end up staying the night because of pain and nausea. I was back to work on my birthday (the 13th) though I probably should have taken one more day and if I had more sick time, I probably would have.<br /><br />My mom is now doing oral chemotherapy because the other chemotherapy wasn't working. I hope that this oral chemo does the trick in kicking cancer out of her body.<br /><br />I also learned that my dad has diabetes so now I'm even more concerned about my diet to make sure I don't have the same fate.<br /><br />Well, that's all for now. Maybe eventually I'll write about our trip to Spokane this past weekend and the kids trip to a farm.seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-45182537210307471962011-08-24T15:02:00.000-07:002011-08-24T15:07:55.917-07:003 little storiesThe other night when I asked Nicholas his name. He told me it was Nick. I said "Nick, not Nicholas?" and he said "noooooo (little laughter), not Nicholas. Nick!" Apparently, it was funny that I thought his name is Nicholas.
<br />
<br />Last night, Benjamin was quietly singing "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele. I look at him and I smile and he grunts at me. Apparently, I am not supposed to notice his cuteness as he sings an adult song. :-D I should know this because when I was around 7 or so, my aunt (who is 10 years older than me) caught me singing to a song on the radio and exclaimed "that's so cute!". I didn't sing in front of her ever again or maybe anyone.
<br />
<br />I am taking Ella to a baseball game tomorrow night. The plan was to take her to the Sunday game, but the timing isn't working out too well. We are taking the kids to stay at grandma and grandpa's house in Tacoma overnight on Saturday afternoon and picking them up Sunday afternoon so I didn't think we'd get to Everett by 4 since we are going to meet my brother for lunch on Sunday and that would mean we might not get to Tacoma until 2 or so. And Tacoma and Everett - a good 1 1/2 hour drive in between them at least, if not more due to traffic. Oh well, at least she will get to run around the bases which is all she really wants - that and getting ice cream in a baseball cap like Benjamin did.seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-48364360959624529592011-08-15T15:23:00.001-07:002011-08-15T15:35:08.008-07:00Weekend of One on OneThis weekend, I got to do some really fun things with each of my kids.
<br />
<br />Friday evening, I took Nicholas to the library with me to drop off books, then we played at the playground there for a while. Then I took him shopping (that wasn't really fun but it was still one on one time). He enjoyed spending his time in the sand pit (something he would do again at a different park on Sunday).
<br />
<br />Saturday
<br />
<br />Saturday morning, we took the kids to their swim lessons. Thankfully, Benjamin got in the pool this time! They seemed to have enjoyed themselves. Nicholas, on the other hand, defintely enjoyed himself. He was doing a little doggie paddling in the pool. This time, instead of being in the pool with him, Jon went in so I could watch (and so I wouldn't need to wash my hair again before going to my next social event).
<br />
<br />In the afternoon, I went to a friend's baby shower while Jon took the kids blueberry picking. They also got to look at some farm animals - they told me how they had fed the goat.
<br />
<br />When they got home, I took Ella to the movie theater for her to see her first movie in a theater. We went to go see Kung Fu Panda 2. Most of the time, she was telling me she wanted to go home (probably because she was tired and not because of the movie). She did enjoy the popcorn though.
<br />
<br />Then on Sunday, we went to church, then out to a picnic lunch with a couple friends and their almost 20 month old son. Nicholas liked the sand pit. Ella and Benjamin did too, though Benjamin also seemed to like just hanging on the blanket too.
<br />
<br />Then that afternoon, I took Benjamin to see the Everett Aquasox game (the Mariners are too expensive when they play popular teams). I think he enjoyed it at lot. He watched the game, ate a hot dog, then went on an inflatable slide, ate some ice cream that came in a cute little baseball cap and then got to run around the bases after the game. I tried to get Benjamin to run on the bases by himself but he wasn't doing it so I ran with him (of course, I didn't mind that at all - though it isn't quite the same as when you are at Safeco Field).
<br />
<br />A very busy weekend but it was definitely fun. I didn't get a lot of chores done, but we had a lot of fun. And an extra bonus is that one of the ladies at the church gave us some size 6 clothes for Ella and Ella was really enjoying the fairy costume. There are some really cute dresses in there too that I am so jealous of Ella's wardrobe!
<br />
<br />Well, that's it for now. This coming weekend, we are going to a 40th birthday party of a friend of Jon's from high school that promises to have a bouncy house for the kids. We haven't seen this friend since we were going through IVF so it will be his first meeting our kids and our first meeting his son. Also, I plan to take Benjamin to a movie in the future and Ella to a baseball game because they both want to and well, so do I!seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-2275183399336839612011-08-10T14:50:00.000-07:002011-08-10T15:00:58.445-07:00Little storiesWell, it's been a while again. I can't seem to get myself motivated to blog ever.
<br />
<br />Here are some stories:
<br />
<br />Nicholas got a string and told one of our kitties to come with him. Jon told Nicholas to walk away and the cat would try to get the string, so he did. And when the kitty got the string, Nicholas scolded him and said "Oviler, be nice!" (His name is Oliver but he pronounces it Oliver - something Ella used to do too).
<br />
<br />Speaking of Ella and kitties, she LOVES animals. She wants to pick up the kitties so bad and pet them all the time. We told her she has to wait until she is 6 to pick up the kitties. She just wants to be like her idol, Olivia (the pig) and pick up the kitty. The other night,we watched an Olivia episode in which Olivia plays a "magic" trick on her brother and pretends to disappear. So when the episode was over, Ella announces that she was going to put on a magic show and buh-peer (IOW, disappear). Benjamin said it the same way. At one point, she announced that she and Benjamin needed to go their room so that we couldn't see them and buh-peer. Funny!
<br />
<br />We started the kids on swimming lessons again and once again, Benjamin refused to get into the pool. We are thinking it is because the teacher is a girl and not Jonathan this time. No bribery was working on him. UGH! Nicholas, on the other hand, was in the pool with me and was doing great with swimming. I would hold him by the belly and he would go doggy paddling after the toy he just threw in the water. He was laughing the whole time and he even crawled over the float bridge thingy they made! Progress! Ella is doing well with swimming as well! I wish Benjamin would just get in the pool.
<br />
<br />This past weekend was my 20th high school reunion and I didn't go. I really wish I would have. Had I scheduled things a little differently, I probably could have gone. Oh well. I hope I can get together with some people when I go over to Spokane sometime. We are going over there in September for a family reunion, so probably not then, but perhaps the next time. I hope!seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-650575479885072412011-07-05T14:49:00.000-07:002011-07-05T14:58:13.222-07:004th of JulyThis past weekend was rather busy. We took all 3 kids to get a haircut (I need one myself too but haven't made that appointment yet). Then we took the kids on the bus (the 41 bus - very important detail to Ben & Ella) to downtown (Ella still says "down the town"). We just wondered around for a while, then headed back home for naptime. On Sunday, after church, we took the kids to Tacoma to visit my in-laws. We went to a farmer's market and got some fruit and a balloon animal( that Benjamin promptly popped once we got back to their grandparents house - thankfully, Nicholas forgot about his as his popped as we were trying to load things up). We also went out to lunch at a buffet where I learned that Ella & Nicholas will eat beets (though I don't) and Benjamin will eat chicken drumsticks (again, I don't eat - don't like dark meat). We went back to their house for the kids to open their presents from him - bubble guns and a big bottle of bubbles. They enjoyed that.<br /><br />For the 4th, we went to a birthday party of a 2 year old from their daycare/preschool and came back home for a low key 4th. We watched some fireworks on tv and when it was over, Ella says she wanted to watch the fireworks. I told here that is what we've been doing. I don't know if they quite get excited about fireworks yet. At first, they thought I was talking about firetrucks.<br /><br />This weekend, we visit my family for a family reunion on my dad's side. It shall be interesting and fun, I hope!seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-37599294236700753842011-07-05T14:46:00.000-07:002011-07-05T14:49:26.442-07:00Quick StoryThe other night Nicholas told me he wanted to sit on the potty. I took him. He sat on the potty for a full 5 seconds before he got up, stared into the potty, and saw that there was nothing there. He sat down again - this time lasting about 10 seconds. He gets up and I say - nope, there's none there. He then looks up to me and says "we need to go to store to get more." Ha! Silly boy!<br /><br />He did tell me the other night he had to go potty and I sat him on there and he went pee! I was all excited, but he hasn't done it again and refuses to go on there each time I see him going poo. I offer, he declines. I don't push it as I don't want another Ella potty training time. Ugh - that was exhausting. I would love it if Nicholas trained himself. I already feel behind the curve when I hear that others have their 2 year olds trained already. Really? Am I just that bad at training or do other parents have more time to devote to it than I do?seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-69176850999824590142011-06-24T14:34:00.000-07:002011-06-24T14:44:01.578-07:00Ben & Ella's 4th Birthday PartyWe had Ben & Ella's party this past Saturday and yes, it did rain. We were covered though and the kids didn't even care that it was raining. They went ahead and played in the playground and because no one else was at the park, they played in the skate park, on the baseball fields and all the way across to the end of the other park. They had a great time. They didn't have success with hitting open their pinatas so we ended up using the strings to pull them open (and I put way too much candy in there as the candy did not come out like it was supposed to). They also enjoyed the little treasure hunt that I set up for them too (though I should have waited a bit longer as some kids showed up right after we played that little game). I also got a little horseshoe game for the kids to play.<br /><br />It was a good day. I wish I had taken more pictures but I felt like I didn't have the opportunity to this year. <br /><br />They got a few presents and they've played with them all - they got camping chairs (we had to go get one for Nicholas after he saw them), little computers, books, a little paper and pencil set, and M&Ms. <br /><br />On another topic - the kids wanted me to tell them stories last night. Ella wanted stories about when I was pregnant with Ben & Ella, when I was pregnant with Nicholas, about when her friends were in their mommy's bellies (though I told her that 2 of her friends weren't in their mommy's bellies but were adopted - I tried to explain that as much as I could to a 4 year old). I thought about mentioning the whole IVF thing to the twins, but thought I'd wait a little bit longer for that.<br /><br />Benjamin wanted stories about dinosaurs and flowers. I told him a g-rated version of Jurassic Park and made up a story about flowers (it wasn't easy for me).<br /><br />And on yet another topic - I learned that I have gallstones this week so I'll be having my gallbladder removed in the near future. I don't see the surgeon until the 19th though so I'm not quite certain how soon after that the actual surgery will take place. Thankfully, it is done by laparoscopy so the recovery time is much shorter than if it was a bigger incision being made. My dad had it done a few years ago and he said he was fine a week later. I hope that's the case for me too!<br /><br />That's all for now! Until the next time when I feel like blogging!seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-37757420418634086022011-06-15T13:51:00.000-07:002011-06-15T13:54:30.098-07:00Just some little storiesWas just reading a post from December 2009 that said this about Ben & Ella<br /><br />"Funny. Oh, that reminds me - whenever they find something enjoyable - they say "that's funny". :-D"<br /><br /><br />What's funny about that now is that Nicholas is saying the same thing for the same reason. Hilarious.<br /><br />Also, last night at the park, he said to me "mommmy, watch zis" then proceeded to jump from the bottom of a slide onto the ground. He then said he was jumping.<br /><br />Benjamin is really into baseball all of a sudden so I think I'm taking him to a Mariners game soon (something I wanted to do anyway but even more so now). I am very much looking forward to it. I just need to find a day we can go.<br /><br />I think for Ella our special time will be going to a movie together and getting popcorn. Perhaps after Cars 2 comes out.seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-79758226798372688102011-06-15T13:18:00.000-07:002011-06-15T13:25:17.038-07:00Ben & Ella turn 4!Benjamin and Ella turned 4 on Sunday. We went to church as normal, then came home to have a BBQ and strawberry shortcake with a couple friends, their son and another friend's 2 kids. We usually have lunch with these friends after church. It was a nice day for sitting outside, eating a BBQ and letting the kids play. We let Ben & Ella open their presents that we got for them. They wanted to play with them right away. Nicholas wanted to play with them when I purchased them and was sad that he didn't have a present to open. He doesn't quite get it that it is their birthday and not his too. Poor guy - this is another glimpse of what it will be like for him being the singleton in the family. Eventually, he'll understand though.<br /><br />I took a few pics of the day but, as usual, I haven't uploaded them (I still haven't uploaded Christmas!!!!).<br /><br />This Saturday, we are having their party at the same park we had the party at last year. This year, though, we have two pinatas. One is a Dora pinata and the other is a Thomas the train pinata (at least, I think that is what I ordered). They are quite excited by this.<br /><br />I guess I'll post more after the party this weekend unless something else comes up. I really hope the weather gets better!!! Right now, Saturday is supposed to be rainy and gross!! At least, the party is in a covered area. Ugh this Seattle weather!!seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-72794461208508459422011-06-10T14:50:00.000-07:002011-06-10T15:01:12.539-07:00Ka-chow!A little while ago, my kids watched Cars for the first time. I also got a few books from the last multiples group sale that had the characters from Cars in it. So Nicholas has been hearing the word Ka-chow (from Lightning McQueen) a lot. Not to mention, we went to a Cars themed birthday party this past weekend (which was a cute place in Woodinville called <a href="http://www.thenestkids.com/">The Nest</a>). Well, Nicholas kept saying ka-chow last night (saying it like katow!) - quite cute. <br /><br />Only 2 more days and Ben & Ella will be 4! The time has indeed gone by fast. Their party isn't until next weekend - I planned their party then thinking my sister and family would be more likely to come since they are still in school now and my niece's birthday is tomorrow - but they aren't coming. So I wish we were having the party tomorrow as more would have been able to come. Oh well.<br /><br />Ben & Ella have been able to write their names for some time. However, for some reason, Benjamin now thinks he needs to write his name perfectly. So because the N was not written with a straight line, he threw a tantrum and a pen and told me to write his name. I told him that it doesn't need to be perfect, but he didn't believe me.Ugh. What is this boy going to be like in school?<br /><br />Ella is doing a bit better with going poo on the potty. She went last night all on her own and well, she is 4 in 2 days so she better start going on the potty like she told me she would do.<br /><br />Nicholas is rather possessive these days. He sees one of the other kids walking toward me and he will run toward me to say "my mommy!" It is quite cute actually. It is going to make me sad when he doesn't run to me anymore (like Benjamin) and give me his little pat on the shoulder hug.<br /><br />In sad (but keeping a positive attitude) news, my mom has learned that her cancer has spread further down her spine and into her pelvic bone. Not the news any of us wanted to hear. so she is starting chemo on Monday. I hope that chemo will get rid of the cancer yet again. She battled breast cancer about 5 years ago and it came back in her bones (and because of that, they denied her long term disability because she had a pre-existing condition - that word just drives me crazy). Please send her positive vibes and send up a prayer that she can beat this yet again!seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-27158316048144776882011-06-03T14:52:00.001-07:002011-06-03T15:04:29.326-07:00Another overdue updateMy heart doesn't seem to be into blogging anymore but I do want to have some record of what my kids are doing at a certain age so I feel I must. <br /><br />Here are a few recent stories:<br /><br />Nicholas finally said his own name the other day. It only took him 2 years and 3 months since birth to say it. Of course, he then turned around and yelled "nick" at me when I said Nicholas. However, if you ask him what his name is - he will tell you it is Footee. Silly boy.<br /><br />He went poo on the potty the other night too - sort of - he had poo coming out and he just happened to finish it off into the potty. That counts, right? He wanted to go potty last night too but it was merely a delaying tactic to keep from having to go to bed. The night prior he stayed up until midnight. I did not want a recreation of that so he cried for about 5 minutes until he fell asleep. that was a hard 5 minutes.<br /><br />Nicholas LOVES to be naked. You try to clothe him, he throws a fit. Not so fun getting clothes on him these days.<br /><br />He tells me he is big all the time so he is trying to show it by not using the railing to go down steps just like his big brother and sister. He was doing pretty well until that last step then he stumbled and fell. He's alright - just a bit shocked more than anything.<br /><br />Ella has been telling me that she will poo on the potty when she is 4 though she did go the other night though she wanted someone in there to comfort her and that someone was me. I'm glad she did go though and she went and sat on the potty all on her own the other day to go poo but nothing happened. It's progress though, right?<br /><br />Ella has also become a huge fan of finding and picking up worms. She will pick them up and talk to them in a motherly baby voice saying things like "Hi worm! It's o.k. It's not scary." quite cute.<br /><br />Benjamin seems to have figured out how to play the solitaire game on my iPod. He's a smart little guy. The preschool tells me all the time. However, he doesn't seem to be quite comfortable with affection. Sometimes I feel like I have to force him to let me give him hugs. Though I can tell he kinda likes getting them though maybe he doesn't want to admit it. :-)<br /><br />The other day we went to a park called Saint Edward State Park in Kenmore,WA. I LOVE that playground - I want to play in the playground too and thankfully, it is big enough for adults to play on. It kinda looks like a little castle.<br /><br />Well, Ben & Ella are nearly 4. It's shocking how quick the time goes sometimes (though right now, it feels like the day is going by way too slow probably because I'm anxious to end this work day). We are going to have a party for them at a nearby park (same as last year) but this year, we will have a train pinata and a Dora pinata. They are quite excited by this.<br /><br />Alright, enough for today. Maybe I'll post again in the near future, but we'll see.seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-81855788273361744022011-05-18T14:45:00.000-07:002011-05-18T15:15:33.304-07:00One on OneJon and I are trying to spend one on one time with the children. This past weekend I managed to spend some time with each child by him or herself. Saturday, I took Ella on a couple errands then we went to a nearby park. It was a surprisingly sunny day, so that was nice. Ella enjoyed playing on the swings, a digger and playing a bit of hide and seek. Pics of that day <a href="www.flickr.com/photos/heathercim">here</a>.<br /><br /><br />Before that though, while Ben & Ella were in their music class (and after Nicholas had his), I took Nicholas to another park. At the park, we saw little baby ducks. At one point, we couldn't find the babies and Nicholas yelled out "DUCKS! WHERE ARE YOU?!?" It was quite cute. There are also pics of that on flickr.<br /><br />The next day, I took Benjamin on an errand to Costco, but after shopping, we sat at the food court and had a smoothie. He told me all about what he wanted for his birthday, including a train pinata (very excited to tell me this). We definitely need to get a pinata as Ella didn't get to pull the pinata at a friend's birthday party and she was very upset by this.<br /><br />In other news, I accidentally drove on our front yard a little bit when coming home yesterday. I told Benjamin what I did and he then told Jon when he came home. He told me when we were leaving to go to the beach last night that I should drive off the grass.<br /><br />Nicholas will tell us all the time he wants to do things by himself - he says 'by. my. self!" So we let him and about 10 seconds later, he asks for our help. Apparently, this morning he wanted to pick out his own shirt today. My little baby is growing up. I am not looking forward to potty training though. I feel like I am still working on that with Ella, I can't imagine starting on Nicholas yet. I guess I will have to at some point though. Ella tells me that she will not poo in her underwear on June 12 (their 4th birthday). I look forward to that day.<br /><br />At our church, they have a segment of the service called "time for young disciples". Usually, one of us will walk up with the twins (Nicholas is usually in the nursery still, but not for much longer!) toward the front. Well, on Sunday, I tried something new. I told them they would go up with our friend Leena and I would then meet them at the front. Well, Benjamin FREAKED out as he wasn't quite sure where I was. I guess that experiment failed. Makes me wonder how much my kids will freak out when they start kindergarten with brand new adults and kids. I guess we have another year before that happens - maybe they will be more independent by then.seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-18893699888674603652011-05-10T14:46:00.000-07:002011-05-10T15:02:00.947-07:00"I'm Sleeping!"Last night, my little 2 year old, Nicholas, decided he wasn't tired though it was 10 p.m. He came out to the livingroom and was resting with Jon on the couch. I came out to the livingroom and Nicholas exlaims "I'm sleeping, mommy!" Yep, it definitely looks like it Nicholas. Silly boy.<br /><br />I went to bed before he did.<br /><br />Surpisingly, both Ben & Ella stayed in their beds last night.<br /><br />Now that Benjamin has figured out how to pedal his little bike (they have training wheels on), that is all he wants to do. We need more sunny days! Do you hear that mother nature?<br /><br />Nicholas is also wanting to do everything by himself these days. You try to help him and he yells out "no! Myself!" He's becoming a big boy.<br /><br />Ben & Ella are looking forward to their birthday. They know that their birthday is on June 12. Ella tells me that when she turns 4, she won't go poo in her underwear anymore (she's still afraid of going poo in the potty). I hope so. At some point soon, we need to potty train Nicholas. I am not looking forward to it as he seems as stubborn about it as Ella.<br /><br />I can't think of anything else, so I guess that is it for now.seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-38539232324364134092011-05-09T15:03:00.000-07:002011-05-09T15:05:58.236-07:00Old Phone MessageI had an old phone message on my old phone at work that I had to delete. It was Benjamin singing "I see blue" over and over again and when Jon<br />comes back with the phone, Benjamin yelled "no!" at Jon.<br /><br />I think this was about the time I went back to work after having Nicholas - so the twins would have been nearly 2.seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-37674660239808031352011-05-09T14:46:00.000-07:002011-05-09T15:02:25.163-07:00Mother's Day 2011Well, this Mother's Day seemed rather hectic and a little laid back at the same time.<br /><br />I woke up that morning, got the kids ready for church and myself. We went to church, then out to lunch. After lunch, Jon took the kids to the park then came home shortly thereafter so he could go into work. When he came back, I was in the process of finally converting the crib into a toddler bed for Nicholas. Ben & Ella were excited by this and eventually, so was Nicholas. After that was done, Jon took the kids shopping and brought me some chocolates - which they wanted to open right away. By this time, it was 9 p.m. and they had just had some ice cream at McDonald's (it looked like) so they didn't need it. They were not thrilled. Bedtime felt extremely rushed. Ella fell asleep right away since she didn't have a nap that day. The boys took a little more coaxing. You would think Nicholas would fall asleep right away since he didn't take a nap but he didn't. Benjamin had a nap but was only upset that we didn't keep the nightlight on so he could read his book. I want to encourage book reading, but they really needed to go to bed by this point.<br /><br />So that was my day this year.<br /><br />In other topics - Nicholas got up at 5 a.m. this morning and went out to the livingroom (he can open his bedroom door now) and said "where's papa? I do not know." You'll have to imagine the cuteness as he said this. He came into our room and I lifted him to our bed. He quickly fell back asleep.<br /><br />The other day at the park, the twins were swinging (Nicholas hates the swing for some reason - did I put him in the swing too much as a baby?). A woman asked "what are your names? Ella yells out "I'm Ella!" Benjamin yells out "I'm Benjamin!...We're 3!!!.... and we're TWINS!!!" It was quite funny.<br /><br />The favorite phrase for Nicholas to say these days is to announce "that's my mom!" So cute! And he comes running to me every time he sees me after I've been gone - even if I've only been gone for a couple minutes. So sweet!<br /><br />Have I mentioned that I seemed to have had an ulcer? It seems to have mended itself a bit though I sometimes feel it every so often. I don't like those.seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-89822767543629252082011-04-18T15:18:00.000-07:002011-04-18T15:53:25.403-07:00ZooYesterday afternoon we took the kids to the zoo. They seemed so excited at first when we got there, but as it got later in the afternoon, they started to get cranky as they were starting to miss their nap. We saw the penguins, turtles, snakes, elephants (of which Nicholas asked "what's that?" with a bit of awe in his voice), lions (sleepy lions), bears (briefly), giraffes, and hippos. At first, Benjamin was sad that we would not see a walrus, but they are at the zoo in Tacoma. Nicholas enjoyed just running wherever he could and didn't pay too much attention to the animals. Over by the elephant barn, he just wanted to run inside the barn and out in a circle while making an "AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" sound. Thankfully, the weather cooperated with us and ended up being a really nice day. I was really exhausted toward the end there especially with having to carry a preschooler for part of that time! My back is killing me! The kids, of course, once we got home and they woke from their mini-nap in the car, they went outside and ran around. Where did they get this energy? They didn't have it when we left the zoo as they wanted us to carry them!<br /><br />Other than that, I took Benjamin to the McDonald's play area for a reward for going poo on the potty. Unfortunately, we still need this reward for both of them. I took him there after their last swim class for a while. We are going to try other things for a little while like a music class! After McDonald's, I took Benjamin to the library book sale to look for some airplane books. Our first book we saw when we got there - an airplane book! How lucky for us! Then even later, we babysat a 3 year old child of our friend while she and her husband went to a wedding.<br /><br />I think that about sums up our weekend. We finally got the toddler bed rail for N's bed but being so busy this weekend, we didn't put it together. Hopefully, we will very soon...seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-12671117007914977422011-04-12T14:51:00.000-07:002011-04-12T15:05:44.831-07:00Hi againHi again. I was on a roll there for a while and then just stopped again.<br /><br />One phrase that Nicholas likes to say a lot is "open the door" and he says this with anything he needs opened - a bag, a sliding phone, and an actual door. It is quite cute.<br /><br />We transferred him to a toddler bed...sort of. The part to convert his crib STILL hasn't arrived, but we have allowed Ben & Ella to sleep on yoga mats with their sleeping bags (which they love) so Nicholas can have one of their beds. He does not want to stay in the bed at all. The only night he has really stayed in the bed was the day he barely got a nap. I can't really tell the daycare not to give them naps during the day so that means he gets out of his bed several times - as do Ben & Ella. Needless to say, bedtime is not a fun time. If anyone is still reading this and has any suggestions, we are welcome to them!<br /><br />We took the kids to a free night at the <a href="http://www.museumofflight.org/">Museum of Flight</a> on Thursday night and to UW to see the <a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3538/3434481893_0348a52534.jpg">cherry blossoms in the quad</a>. Things were o.k. at first but since it was so crowded at both places, it ended up being crazy! We had to make sure that both of us knew where each child was. It seemed worse at the Museum of Flight to me because it was a confined space with many people - easy to lose sight of a child. UW quad was open so easier to keep track - though there they were fighting over who got to be in or push the stroller, then about the rocks down by <a href="http://www.atmos.washington.edu/academic/ug/images/mountain_2.gif">Drumheller Fountain</a>. I'm thinking the next time we want to do something like this where the place will be crowded,we should bring another adult with us as man to man defense works a lot better than zone defense (at least, in this instance it does).<br /><br />That's all I can think of at the moment. Next weekend, we are visiting family in Spokane for Easter weekend. It's been quite a while since I've seen my parents and brothers - I think since September when we were over there for my aunt's celebration of life. My sister and 2 of her kids visited with us for Nicholas's birthday party.seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-61833087528045057532011-03-29T14:46:00.000-07:002011-03-29T15:02:53.923-07:00The Crazy & Funny Times of Having ChildrenLast night, we get home and I have the kids go play while I make dinner. Ella wanted Benjamin to come into their room and play with her, but he wanted to play with Nicholas' birthday present (a little motorbike/tricycle thing). Ella desperately asked Benjamin to come play with her and he kept saying no. One time, he turns and yells right in her face "NO!" Ella starts crying even more and says "this isn't the yelling place..." I asked her if Nicholas or I could play with her, but no, it was all about her Benjamin. She then starts crying "Benjamin is my friend and he should play with me!" I tried to explain to her that he didn't have to but maybe he will in a little bit. I did play with her for a bit and that calmed her down for a bit, but she went on to say she wanted Benjamin to play with her.<br /><br />Then even later, Benjamin cried out that he feels he is missing out on an important part of dinner - the third vitamin. I give them 3 - one for calcium, one for the fish oil and the other for multi. All are kids vitamins. I gave him two with his dinner because he had already had the third one when he saw me giving one to Nicholas. He screamed and yelled for about 15 minutes about that.<br /><br />Nicholas cried later when I tried to get him to put his clothes on after taking a bath. The humanity! The horror! How dare I clothe him for the bedtime! He can put on some rather spectacular tantrums - complete with jumping and landing on his butt. I really should try to get a video of that. I'm pretty sure he is learning this behavior from his siblings. For them, the twos weren't all that terrible...their threes are worse. But Nicholas - wow - his two's are definitely terrible.<br /><br />In the funny times:<br /><br />1. Nicholas, for a while, thought it was fun to sleep with socks on his hands or just to walk around with socks on his hands. He hasn't done that in a while.<br /><br />2. Nicholas will sometimes will look directly at your face and rather close to your face when he is telling you something.<br /><br />3. Nicholas told me the other day "I can do it!" Yep - I guess he's a big boy now.<br /><br />4. Nicholas likes to tease me by telling me "I go potty?" and so I get him undressed to do so, and he just runs off. Someday I'll get him to go pee or poo on the potty again. Someday.<br /><br />5. Speaking of potty training, Ella was so proud of herself for buttoning her shirt that she proclaimed that she is a big girl and can button her shirt. She can get herself dressed. She can even go poo on the potty! I said - that's great (and inside I said - I'd like to see that since she still struggles with the fear of going poo on the potty).<br /><br />6. Ben & Ella fighting over the proper way to say "Bubble Guppies". Benjamin asking Ella "why do you like it so much? Can't we watch another show?" or something along those lines.<br /><br />7. Ben & Ella calling President's Day present day. :-D<br /><br />8. Fighting over mommy or papa. Nicholas is saying "my mommy!" whenever Ella sits on my lap or Benjamin. He didn't like it too much when I was in the church nursery and was holding Andre for a period of time to calm him after his mommy left. Ella one time said that we needed another parent so that there would be enough to hold each child. :-( and :-D<br /><br />In other non-kid news, I went to go see Rock of Ages a while ago with a friend and loved it! If you are a fan of 80s rock music, then this is the show for you!seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-52460895517335419482011-03-25T14:48:00.000-07:002011-03-25T15:17:58.330-07:00Nicholas is a Big BoyI was going to talk about Nicholas and his toddler bed today, so I guess I will then go into why I titled this UGH. <br /><br />Nicholas is still in his crib. We had transferred Ben & Ella to their toddler beds when they were 18 months but with Nicholas we have resisted because we know that means he is going to keep getting out of his bed like his brother and sister. We planned to convert his bed at his 2nd birthday but the rail hasn't arrived yet and won't until the end of April! We should have been better about getting it. We are thinking of cancelling the order and getting just one of the plastic-y ones like I had intended to get anyway. We'll see.<br /><br />Anyway, he really doesn't want to go in his crib. He wants to sleep in Ben & Ella's bed because his a big boy after all. He can do things all by himself (he told me the other day that he could do it - whatever the it was, I can't remember now). He isn't really happy to go into his bed...though lately he has gotten in there - laid down and read his book. So very cute!<br /><br />So I was going to also write about my frustration with work and with people, but perhaps I'll save that for another day. Maybe by then, I won't feel so frustrated anymore.seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-14956223608809062402011-03-24T14:48:00.000-07:002011-03-24T15:24:33.421-07:00Sunny Day in SeattleSo yesterday we had a nice sunny day and it hit 60 degrees! Time to head to the park! I told the kids when I picked them up that we could head to the park. Things were going well - though honestly, I hate going there by myself because I'm afraid of losing one of the kids especially when it is so crowded, but how could I pass up a nice sunny day!<br /><br />Anyway, things were going great until it was time to go, then children being children, they would not listen when I told them it was time to go. I was really, really frustrated with them. I told them if they want to come back, they need to listen. This is funny because Benjamin a number of times have said to us "you need to listen!" when he said "is that the 3-5-3 bus" and we say yes "it is the 3-53 bus" and he will reply with "I didn't say 3-53, I said 3-5-3, you need to listen!"<br /><br />Today isn't looking as nice unfortunately, so I don't think we'll go to the park today unless it gets sunny in the next couple hours...though it looks like it is about to rain.<br /><br />Tomorrow - all about Nicholas and his toddler bed. He's a big boy, you know! He told me last night "I can do it" when I asked him if I could help him with something. My children are growing up on me!seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-81681809169382710202011-03-23T14:48:00.000-07:002011-03-23T14:59:35.848-07:00Swim ClassAs you may recall (if I wrote it down in this blog), that Ben & Ella started swim class back a couple months ago. They, at first, hated it, but gradually were warming up to being in the pool. By the last class that each attended, things were starting to look good. Then the pool closed for a few weeks to clean. I was afraid that would mean we would go back to the beginning but no! Ben & Ella hopped into the pool right away and enjoyed their class. Now, Benjamin is a bit more adventurous than Ella. He wants to go down the slide into the pool and he likes going around the pool in the float. Ella refuses to do both of those things. Hopefully, that will change and hopefully, they will both graduate out of preschool level 1 swim class this time.<br /><br />This time, I also signed Nicholas up for a class. He has to go into the pool with a parent (you have to be 3 to take the preschool class). The first class was this past Saturday and I went in with him this time. He LOVED it. I would sit him on the edge of the pool and he would just jump at me. He didn't freak out when I accidentally put him under water either...though he did swallow some chorlinated water. Yuck! He didn't want to crawl along the one square float this last time, so maybe next time!seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-39946266254424616322011-03-22T14:47:00.001-07:002011-03-22T14:56:26.692-07:00OvernightThis past Saturday we took all 3 kids to stay at their grandma and grandpa's house overnight. Jon and I went to a wedding then come home close to midnight so that we could sleep in a little. Did I end up getting a good night's rest that night? Nope, not at all. I kept waking up and ended up getting up for good at 8 a.m. - which is a little sleeping in but it wasn't a restful sleeping in like I had hoped. Oh well, I did get to finish my book club book though before going to get the kids so that was good.<br /><br />As for the kids,they did great. There was no crying whatsoever when we left and they asked when they could come back so I have a feeling we can try this again - maybe just on a night when Jon and I want to go out to dinner or something though. We'll see.<br /><br />This night also marked Nicholas' first time outside his crib. We have been waiting on the railing to come for his crib so he hasn't transitioned to a toddler bed yet. Honestly, I'm not looking forward to it as it will mean some falling out of bed in the middle of the night and some getting out of bed. I just don't know if I want to have another child getting out of his bed all the time. But I know we should transition him and we will once that part comes!<br /><br />While at grandma and grandpa's, they watched Toy Story (finally - so now they know who Woody and Buzz Lightyear are), the twins got their toes painted with nail polish by their Aunt, and went to the park and colored. It seemed to be a fun time.<br /><br />The wedding was also fun for us and it was great to meet some new people due to the wedding. I went to the bachelorette party and met the bridesmaids and others on the bride's side of the aisle. The party was at Chopstix which is a great place! I want to go there for my birthday, I think. And the wedding was at the Museum of Flight. The museum looks rather cool at night with the lights shining on the planes.<br /><br />Well, anyway, that's all for now. Next time - swim class!seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-53308428117985800762011-03-21T16:05:00.000-07:002011-03-21T16:08:18.035-07:00Happy (belated) birthday, Nicholas!!!I'm a horrible mother. It is nearly a month after Nicholas' birthday party and I am just now saying happy birthday to him on my blog.<br /><br />My little guy (and he is little - he is in the 30-35 percentile in height and weight) turned 2 on February 25. He is talking a lot (I understand about 60% of what he says these days) and can be very demanding when he wants something. He wants to be included in what his big brother and sister do, but most of the time they exclude him.<br /><br />My little guy still is a big snuggle bug even today...especially after he just wakes up.<br /><br />We had his birthday party at The Children's Museum in Seattle. It was a fun but very exhausting day. My sister and 2 of her kids came over, along with my eldest niece's best friend. My parents didn't dare try the pass, but my sister did. We had lots of friends there too - about 43 people in total!!!<br /><br />Thanks to all who came to celebrate with us!<br /><br />(I am going to make more of an effort to write about my kids, so I have lots to write about - including swim class, staying at grandma and grandpa's for the first time overnight by themselves, and more!)seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11037675.post-59419416526577543002011-02-04T13:31:00.000-08:002011-02-04T14:03:53.574-08:00Another Overdue UpdateWell, the kids are still taking swim lessons and still freaked out by the water. Ella did o.k. when I took her on Monday night to go swimming with me. She let me put her on her belly and on her back to swim as long as she was holding a long pink spaghetti noodle. I'm hoping this means she will get in the pool with the teacher tomorrow, but I'm not holding out any luck on that.<br /><br />Benjamin also refused to go into the pool during class last week and didn't let go of Jon when they went on Wednesday night...though he did well the prior week in class and in pool time with papa.<br /><br />Nicholas has had his first ear infection. He got a 103 temperature the other day. I took him to the doctor the next day and he has ear infections, so he started on antibiotics on Monday. He was throwing up last night - something that he and at least one of the teachers at school have.<br /><br />Cute Stories:<br /><br />the other day, I'm driving the kids home and I hear them say the following:<br /><br />Ella: Benjamin, do you want to wear the pink things? (I think she is talking about the pink wannabe crocs).<br />Ben: ...<br />Ella: BENJAMIN! Do you want to wear the pink things? Yeah or no?<br />Benjamin: ELLA! Boys like to wear pink sometimes too!<br /><br /><br />Last night, I was cleaning up their room trying to find where Nicholas put his boots (turns out he put them in Jon's boots). Ella & Benjamin were out in the livingroom pretending to be mommy and baby. I hear one of them say "do you like your soda? I like my soda" and I was thinking they were pretending because they see Jon and I drink soda. Well, no, they found a coke bottle I had left in my lunch bag (I had forgotten about it) and they were pouring the coke into their sippy cups and their other cup and drinking it. I only came out when I heard Benjamin scream out "it's too full! I got it too full!" He put too much in his cup and it was spilling out. Ugh! Luckily, they did go to sleep in a somewhat peaceful manner (in comparison to other days).<br /><br />Speaking of swimming, last week when I took Ella to swim, she was staring at the womean and little girls walking around - some of them in the nude. I told her it wasn't nice to stare. Later, after "swimming", we went back to the locker room to change and she apparently thought I was staring as she said "mommy, it isn't nice to stare".<br /><br />Nicholas is sick again today so Jon is home with him. Benjamin also stayed home since his nose kept running and he needed a tissue constantly. He was going to keep Ella home, but she said she really wanted to go to school. I'm not sure right now if she went or not.<br /><br />That's all for now. Hope everyone feels better soon and that Ben & Ella do very well in their swim class tomorrow!seattlegalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07596706264163818014noreply@blogger.com1