Category Archives: Life in general

Almost daily the following scene plays out:

• The kids are happily occupied with an activity so I decide to take the opportunity to use the bathroom (hey, it happens – every day, remember?).
• I’ve learned my lesson and quickly lock the door behind me, but otherwise do not broadcast my intentions to the little rugrats in the house unless I want someone to join me.
• Inevitably, the moment I am indisposed, Jack will aggravate Liam.
• This aggravation will result in Liam a) yelling at Jack, b) doing something to Jack and making him cry, c) slamming his bedroom door or d) all of the above.
• Liam’s bad behavior results in two things: Jack crying and George barking like a maniacal little dog.
• Since I am indisposed, I have two choices: remain silent and pretend I don’t hear anything OR yell (rather loudly) through the bathroom door for everyone to just be quiet (mainly to get George to stop barking his fool head off). You can guess which option I go with.
• I’d imagine the neighbors are highly entertained, or at the very least, far too knowledgeable about what goes on in our house, specifically when I’m in the bathroom. (Perhaps this explains why they keep showing up to give us random things like gift certificates their kids earned through a summer reading program, an Entertainment Book and extra boxes of markers and crayons – they want to see if we are running a circus.)

• I really hate how commercials depict women who are pregnant with multiples and how they reveal this tidbit to their spouses. The men always seem comically overwhelmed and “aw shucks” about it all and the women are not at all freaked out. Really?
• My hubby got to be home last night rather than at work (though boo, he has to work on Saturday night instead) and it was so nice to share the parenting load for the bedtime routine, plus we got to eat dinner together while the kids wound down to Olivia in the livingroom (someday we’ll all eat together but for today – we’re happy to get to spend the time with each other).
• It was almost as nice to go for a walk in the neighborhood without the children; though I took George who seems to need more pit stops than the children.
• Jack’s current favorite phrases are, “I want to talk to you, mommy” and “I have an idea…” though he uses them both as segues into whatever he’s saying regardless of whether or not he actually has an idea or something to tell me.
• Liam is officially a kindergartener now that he’s gone to orientation and completed his last day of daycare (according to him). He’s wildly thrilled though you would never have known it for how subdued he was at the orientation. This out of character shyness will allow for a momentary lapse in his non-stop talking – giving his teacher a false impression that he is quiet and reserved (at least until lunchtime). He was happy to find out there were two boys in his class that he knew from daycare and preschool and three more boys in the other kindergarten class who he knew as well. I don’t think he even looked at the girls – at least I don’t have to start worrying about that until middle school.
• Wesley was rock star NICU baby and came home this past weekend – he is the sweetest little peanut. And Sarah and Brian were rock star NICU parents – go team parents!
• Out of the blue, Liam asked me why I told him he had five more minutes of playing the Wii (on SUNDAY, four days ago) and then let him play a lot longer. Thanks for remembering and pointing out my parenting flaws, kid.
• My brother, Mike, is biking from Lansing to the Mackinaw Bridge (the DALMAC), on purpose, for fun – I am impressed because unlike myself, he’s no spring chicken (he’ll super appreciate that comment).
• Jack was being awfully sweet this weekend when we were saying goodbye to my parents in their hotel room in Holland, telling them both, “I love you, Grandpa” and “I love you, Grandma” without any prodding and my dad said, “Oh, Jack, I’m going to miss you when you get older.” Because despite his pill-ishness, he is an unabashed sweetie and that will probably go away as he gets older as it does with most children (this is a key reason why people have more children – I decided a blog would be less time-consuming and nearly as satisfying).
• Apparently, five is not too old for the sweetness to end – last night at bedtime I told Liam, “I love being your mom” and without skipping a beat, he responded with “I love being your son!” (Don’t moments like that make every difficult moment in parenting worth it?)
• I cannot wait for the new tv season to start… it’s like a mini-Christmas, the anticipation I feel about returning favorites and new shows (sad, but true).
• Looking forward to dinner and movie with a couple girlfriends this weekend – whoot! And it’s a long weekend – double whoot!
• Oh, and it’s September – does this unsettle anyone else?

• It’s always a bummer when the easy going-to-bed nights hit when a sitter gets to put the kids in bed. I also think I should get a discount when this happens.
• It amazes me how much joy Liam can get out of a new pair of shin guards when he has no clue even how to play soccer.
• I really have lucked out with the people God has put in my life. I will never stop being thankful for them.
• Even though we know it’s for the best, it sucks to put our kids through something we know they’re not going to enjoy – like daycare drop off, surgery or vaccination shots.
• You never stop being a parent, no matter how old you or your kids get – it is forever. This also means you never stop being someone’s child.
• Pizza with green olives is delicious. Lemon bars are also delicious.
• I truly enjoy the time I spend on the stationary bike in the basement and I totally don’t mind sweating if I don’t have anywhere to go afterward.
• When in doubt, it never hurts to send a thank you note. It will always be appreciated.
• This quote was in a book I read last week: “Life is difficult. God is merciful. Heaven is sure.” Philip Yancey’s father-in-law [The first time I typed that from memory, I wrote: Life is hard. God is good. Heaven is certain. Not sure which I prefer.] I can’t get it out of my head.