These are the days to remember

Last weekend was so exciting that the idea of staying home and decorating for Christmas was very appealing!

I feel so at ease this Monday morning because of the peace that actually reigned this weekend. We began decorating on Sat. morning, the kids were so excited to open each box of decorations! They helped me hang the red ribbons on the windows, and put garland on the knoll posts. I don't think any of us even got dressed until noon. We played Christmas carols, and if you looked past the occasional melt-downs it was a near perfect morning!

Feeling pretty relaxed I decided to start with my Christmas sugar cookies. Normally a disaster for me, when we got a phone call...my future au pair's sister was coming to town and could she come by? I was pretty nervous, but her and her friend arrived, and the were a delight! They stayed of dinner and were fantastic guests. We are hopeful that Jessy herself will be as fun and energetic as her big sister!
We ended the night by going to see a crazy decorated house in town. These people raise 10,000.00 for St.Mary's children's hospital each year!!!!! It was a really awesome display.
That night I made Steve cut out the sugar cookies and he did a really great job, they looked perfect! Could this be the year of the successful sugar cookie?

On Sunday, we headed out to the science museum which all of the kids love! and then we spent the afternoon making chocolate chip cookies, but more importantly on the cookie front, is that after they went to sleep, I decorated my sugar cookies...and they look AWESOME!

I know this all seems so impossibly sweet and perfect, and I have to say it was exactly that: impossibly sweet and perfect. I hope I hold the picture of this weekend in my heart forever or at least for the week, as I have to leave my babies for work and hustle the big kids to school. Why is everything with the kids so bittersweet.

"these are days to remember 'cause they will not last forever, These are the times to hold onto, though we won't although we'll want to. These are the times and the times are gonna change."-Billy Joel

Happy Birthday Aunt Ruth

Wow have I missed posting! I was busy getting together an elaborate monatge for my sister's birthday. I think it was worth every moment. It took some extra time because Steve and I had to learn some new programs, but it came out as I had hoped.
The party was fun and Ruth was really surprised! She deserves the accolades, she is a fantastic person and is always there for people on a dime.

We were also happy to host Russ and his 3 kids, who were in for the party. I love having them here, never picky and always fun and on the go! We took a very exciting trip to the city. For the 10 years that I lived in the city I never once visited that tree, and in the 3 years that I have had 5 kids, I've brought them every year. It is a nightmare every time. There favorite part is the train. Mikey was beside himself yelling "the train go fast!" "the train stops for the people" keeping me well informed of what was happening with the train. We rode in with Russ, his kids and Beth, so there was a ton of excitment,oh and also Dalila thank goodness for her.
I think I liked the train the best. It was warm, safe, and comfortable. Not at all like Rockafeller Center, which was cold, crowded and unsafe. Not to be buh humbug, but it is no place for 3 two year olds! I can't help but wonder if I will do it again next year...and complain again!

Now we are revving up for Christmas, and everyone knows that I get more excited then the kids about Christmas, sending the whole house into energy-high gear!

A trip to Ikea

So what is a trip to Ikea? What is the big deal? We were actually pretty excited to go because they have a drop off for the kids. A playspace where bored teenage girls stand around and stare of vacantly thinking of anything but toddlers. Sounds good enough for my kids.

We wait on the line which is about 30 minutes long, because this apparently is good enough for most people's children. We say 5 kids. They say what? Uh five kids we want to drop off these 5. Are they potty trained? Sure. Are they wearing diapers? no. yes. what is the right answer? No. no they are not. Are they tall enough? Tall enough for what the toddle NBA? Whatever. check. tall enough. We never took in a group this big before. Do we get a prize. No. They give us a buzzer and one hour of freedom. Hipp Hipp horay. Oh wait Mark won't go. But still just one lousy toddle no problem.

Except when we walk away and go to the elevator Mark throws a fit. He DOES want to go now. Steve waits on line again. This time for 40 Minutes. He gets to the front and guess what? Mark won't let them stamp his hand. Matthew comes over and tries to calm him down to no avail. So now we still have Mark and now only 20 minutes left. Still though 2o minutes. The place is a mad house. We hastily throw some items in the cart and ...BUZZ. They want us back. We pick up the very happy group. Put on their shoes and begin to shop. Cara needs the potty. It is out of order. I wait 25 minutes to use the only single stalled bano in the joint. Cara makes it. I return to the crew. Mikey say BANO! uh oh too late and there is a puddle on the floor. We do the only thing we can think of and leave quickly, trying to look innocent and unaware of the puddle on the floor.

We check out and realize that the wonderfully Green company does not give out bags. So we head to the food court, because it got late, very late. There is a huge escalator up to the food court we have all of our purchases, 7 coats and five kids. 3 of which are only 2! I put Cara on she loses her balance and falls. I rush on and pick her up. She is so scared. A kind gentleman takes an unhappy Mikey's hand and helps Steve get the rest of the brood up the escalator.

I see Steve his hands are full of measuring cups, picture frames, and other assorted household items. He looks like a crazy man carting all of his household items that are unwrapped to the food court. Like if he is afraid he may be called on to suddenly measure dry ingredients and feels a compulsion to be prepared for all contingencies. With his masses of children trailing behind him.

It was ridiculous. Though we did appreciate the play space insistence that the kids where socks. Knowing that Mikey's socks are soaked in pee, from our little emergency at IKEA.

Oh how we laughed.

There is no super girl at Toys 'R Us, but there is one at my house.

Well, here I go. What is my problem? TOYS.

Seriously.

When you look in TOYS 'r' US there is the toddler area. Where the toys seem more often gender neutral, everything is done in primary colors. Boys can cook, girls can run ships or vice versa, it does not matter. This seems to quickly change at the 3 or 4 year old age group.

This weekend I had to buy gifts for twin 5 year olds,a boy and a girl. So I go to that age area. You walk down the main isle on one side are "boy" gifts and the other "girl". Convenient.

How do you know one is girl? The whole half of the store is done in pastel pink.

So I am still hopeful, thinking that the bratz or Barbie herself has probably jumped into the new century and will have some cool, edgy ideas. Wow was I wrong.

The Bratz are just sexy dolls that do absolutely nothing. None of the dolls do anything. Compare that to Superman,Batman, the Transformers, Spiderman, even the Cars characters race.

I have to say Barbie can be a "baby doctor" Why they can't call her a pediatrician is beyond me, but in any case SOOOOOOOOOOOOO boring. Who wants to pretend something so real. Isn't the imagination for beyond the borders of life? I mean it is okay,nothing wrong with it, but dull, dull, dull! Where is supergirl? Or even a betwitch type of doll.

The boys seem to have complex characters that save the world and have a host of villains with complex skill sets themselves. The names of the Transformers are impossible for me to even pronounce. These characters live parallel lives and have high tech gadgets.

Don't get me wrong I love holiday Barbie in all her splendor, I think she makes a great decoration, but where is Barbies complexity? Where is super hero Barie? Where is her parallel life? Since shows like Alias. buffy the vampire slayer and bionic woman you would think that toy makers could reflect this type of excitement into girls toys.

Is it what mom's want? This is what sells. My smart and sophisticated mom friends want to buy these boring, do nothing toys for their daughters?

I am not thinking that my boys will grow up to drive trains, do construction, build things or be super heroes but the toys promote a certain complexity of thinking of seeing life as dynamic, problem solving and adventure making.

This weekend, when I was at a kids birthday party there was a 6 year old girl. I said who is your favorite? Bratz, barbie, Hannah Montana? She said they're all stupid I like to make music. I was relieved.

Potty training is not for the faint of heart

Potty training has begun in earnest. Cara has full command of the bathroom routine and can produce pee at a moments notice, as she drinks juice by the gallon. So every time I say "who wants to go potty and get a chocolate?" Cara sits pees and collects her chocolate and is on her way. She is going to get cavities.

Mark on the other hand has given up peeing all together. He would make a camel proud. He knows he can earn one chocolate for trying(its two for success plus a sticker) so if he really wants a chocolate he will make some half-hearted effort. This happens maybe once a day.

Mikie on the other hand is mostly cooperative, sitting on the potty with his book, he loves to read. Though in almost three days he has yet to make the potty. Often going right after I pull up his spiderman underwear. I don't think he has made the connection and thinks this is just an interesting way to peruse the latest books on our shelves.

Yesterday, at 3:15 while waiting for their funnel cake at the apple festival all three wet their pants. They thought this was great and were laughing at this fantastic coincidence.

At $40.00 for a box of diapers (the big one from Costco) I will stick with my plan for the entire week. If nothing else it is more like having cloth diapers!

Cakes are fun to decorate

I couldn't get Chris off to school on this paricular morning. So I told him we could bake a cake after school. But afterschool, is never just afterschool. There is a playground behind the school and all of the kids go. So we went for an hour, then I stopped by my office and they watched TV. We make it home at 5PM, now there is dinner and homework and homework is no joke as well as now cake decorating (I had run home at lunch to bake the cake so it would be ready to decorate.) we have only 2 and 1/2 hours to get this all done. I think, okay Steve will be home for dinner so, we can manage. Steve came home but really feeling sick (he's better now, if anyone cares). So I heat up dinner, clean it up, do the boys homework (one hour!) change the babies and the boys, pull out a cake, a can of frosting and sprinkles and let them have at it! Fantastic, it looked great and tasted even better! I still managed to get them all asleep by 8PM, of course after I cleaned the kitched and the living room, all I could do was stare at a riveting episode of Dancing with the Stars and fall into bed myself.

However I am unfazed and so psyched, my au pair is off next week, and I get a WHOLE WEEK at home with the my babies!!!!!!

Just some sweet pictures from the weekend. I love the 4 spidermen, Mark kept his PJ's on all day, he loved them so much. One just has to wonder what Cara is up to while all of these do-gooder spidermen are engaged in a photo op...