Sleeping Arrangements

When the kids were babies, they shared a room - a sunroom off our bedroom in our old flat.  Only two cribs fit in that room, so Daniel and Caroline doubled-up and Max got a crib to himself because he was a little more active.  By the time they were growing out of that situation, we moved into a house with a room just big enough for three cribs.

A year ago, the sides came off those cribs and the children had instant mobility.  At some point, Daniel decided he preferred to sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor of his bedroom and there have been many nights that the three have jockeyed for position in each other's beds.  At this point they also decided that when they wake up in the middle of the night, they should come into my bed.  I have not done my due diligence getting this under control, so I'm a little exhausted on a daily basis.

But this week, something new happened.  While I was washing dishes, the kids were setting up a "sleepover".  They decided they were going to have a boys sleepover in "the triplets room" and Caroline would have a girl night in the office.  She lugged ALL her toys, a stack of clothes, some books, her pillow, and four or five blankets in and set them up on the floor.  I went with it, and since it was Father's Day, Daddy read the boys a book and I read one to Caroline and then we settled in to sleep.

Then Daniel decided he didn't want to share a room.  He wanted to be "separated" too.  And so he dragged his sleeping bag, pillow, blanket, and toys into the hall.  As an added bonus, there's a nightlight there that helps with his night time darkness discomfort.

Daniel, night 1

The plan originally was for the boys to move to the office on Night 2, but they balked at that and so everyone stayed put in their original places.

Night 3, Daniel and Max decided to flip flop and Caroline wanted to leave the light on. All three of them took turns whining that they were scared and wanted me to come hug them.  The previous two nights, Max had fallen asleep almost instantly, so I was inclined to snuggle with him this time around.  But Daniel was whining in the hall and Caroline came in to the room and informed me, "If you don't come in my room, I'm going to yell at you."  When I told her to go lie down so I could turn off the light, she responded, "If you turn off the light, I'm going to kick you in your butt."

During all this, Daniel and Max decided they wanted to switch places, which included Daniel carrying all those toys into his room one by one.  Many trips.  Mommy growing more annoyed.  Finally they got settled.  All three were still whining and moaning and being generally annoying and then, within about three minutes, they were all fast asleep.

Max in the hallway, Caroline in the office with the light on

Daniel in the bedroom

I suspect this means it's time to seriously consider getting the boys' bedroom ready to be inhabited.  But I'm also fairly confident that the minute I do that they will all want to be together in one room.

And all I want to do is get ONE good night of sleep for myself...

World Language Picnic

When we came to campus back in February for a basketball game, the kids somehow fell in love with my colleague, Carlos, who is the JV Soccer Coach.  Following that, they asked numerous times about getting to see him and I joked that we should set up a date for us to hang out with my friend Scott's family and with Carlos, saying that Scott and Carlos could teach the five kids in the group to play soccer while Scott's wife and I sat back and drank fruity beverages.  

This idea blossomed into a proposal for a picnic for the whole language department.  I reserved the soccer/baseball field at school for a Saturday and invited everyone.  About half the department showed up, including two soccer coaches, two teenage players, and seven kids under the age of six.  We brought entirely too much food, including chips and salsa for Carlos because the kids asked him what his favorite kind of food is and he said "Mexican".  

Carlos eating his chips and salsa

(he is an incredibly good sport)

Scott and Nikki (otherwise known as "Athina's parents")

Carlos lining up the kids and Athina for kicks

Athina up front, as Carlos flips Caroline in the background

Playing tag with Alicia

Parent-Child Evening

Part of the model at Montessori Children's Center is an opportunity each semester to do an Open House in which the kids show off the different kinds of "work" they've learned to do.  Both Joe and I were able to go, which was great, but still left us playing zone defense in terms of covering all the kids' activities.  But it was wonderful to see all the things they've learned to do and also to see what they're excited about.  They very much enjoy showing off what they know how to do.  And when I'd ask if they wanted to do a different kind of work, they would tell me, "No, that's for two year olds".

Daniel

Caroline is tracing and writing her 2's

Max is matching his instruments

Daniel has the knots down.  The digits beneath them, not so much.

"Metal Insets" are a big thing

Matching colors

I wasn't entirely sure what this was, but Max had it down

Polishing silver

Getting herself a cup of water

Daniel putting on a blindfold

And Max

The kids pull shapes out and feel them to guess what shape it is before peeking out from the blindfold to verify.  I was impressed they used terms like "ovoid", "triangular prism", and "conical sphere".

Caroline knew what all the continents are!

Rolling up the mat

Hiya!

Listening to Miss Renee in Circle Time

Circle Time!

Taking the Bus

We went to Grandma and Boppy's house today and the kids decided they wanted to take the bus.  Wendy and I drove and Uncle took the kids on the 18.  And with finding parking and walking over - they beat us there!

Caroline the budding musician

Over Spring Break we went to visit Kate at her apartment.  The boys had packed a bunch of toys and we brought snacks and they were super happy to hang out in the living room and watch tv and play.  But Caroline went exploring.  And what she found was Kate & Andy's music room.  Kate & Andy have a wide assortment of musical instruments, but in the "music room" they have a set up of electric keyboard and microphone that really caught her eye.

After this, she and Kate tried for a guitar duet.  Watch how she mirrors Kate and as a result holds her guitar the wrong way.

And then Kate suggested perhaps she'd like to use a pick and they tried again.

She also loves dancing...to her own soundtrack.  First we have her having a nightgown dance party.

Then I caught just the last few moments of her dancing with abandon to the street music as we walked to the parking lot after leaving a Giants game.

And Uncle caught her trying out her "slippy" shoes in front of the house when she was getting ready for the neighbor's birthday party.

Asking the right questions

You'd think by now I would've figured out how to ask the right questions when talking to the little people in this house.

Caroline: "Mommy, I'm doing a car wash in the office!"
Mommy: "That sounds like fun."
Caroline: "OK, I'm going to go to the car wash now"
Mommy: "OK, but it's just pretend right, Caroline? No water?"
Caroline: "Yes"
Mommy: "There's NO water?"
Caroline: "No"
Mommy: "No water?"
Caroline: "No."
Mommy: "Caroline, say, 'No Water.'"
Caroline: "'No Water' Can I go now?"

I got it, right?  I mean, there's NO way that could've been misinterpreted!

But I didn't ask, "No water AND no Resolve carpet spray?" did I?

It's not always sunshine...

Four and a half year olds are not always the nicest or most cooperative small people in the world.  I hope this is not news to you.  It wasn't news to me, but I was surprised by the depth to which their mood swings might affect me.

One morning, as we struggled to get out of the house, I had to deal with mini meltdowns on a series of events - someone had wanted me to snuggle with him for five more minutes before I took a shower, another had wanted me to wake him up so he could sit outside the bathroom while I got ready, someone wanted to sleep two minutes longer but then was upset that she didn't get to be the first to get dressed.  Someone was upset that he hadn't gotten to help make lunches the night before and someone else was upset that I didn't choose a superhero tshirt for him.  Someone else had to have long sleeves and someone else needed to wear a dress.

All of these little fires got put out, the whining ended, and we moved on to the next one.  We finally got out the door and I got them in their seats.  They have "assigned" seats in the car, but often want to "trade".  Daniel was playing on the sidewalk as I got Max and Caroline into the car.  Max and Caroline chose their seats and I asked Daniel if that was ok.  He ignored me, so I asked again.  He still ignored me and we were running late, so I put her in the seat, took his hand, and walked him around the car to get in on the other side.

Instant meltdown.  He did not want to sit there.  That seat was NOT his favorite.  He did not TELL me to put him in that seat.  But we were late, and he hadn't paid attention when he had a chance to give his opinion.  So I drove to school while telling him I was sorry he was upset but that we would move on and he'd be fine.

He did not agree.

Halfway into Golden Gate Park, Max suggested that we could stop and switch seats because he did not want his brother to be so sad.  OK.  I caved.  I pulled over to the side of the road and prepared to move the kids around.  I don't really remember who was where to start and how they ended up, but I think what happened was that they ended up in their "assigned" seats.

When I'd finished running back and forth buckling and unbuckling and buckling them in again, and held myself back from yelling at the man who honked at me because he couldn't figure out how to turn right at the corner without driving at the curb for the length of a block, I got in the driver's seat and immediately Daniel dropped a toy on the floor and wailed about it.  So I got back out to retrieve it, telling him this was it.

As I opened his door, I stepped in a pothole, turning my left knee and twisting my right ankle and falling into the car onto Daniel.  I caught myself against the side of the chair, but I was yelping a bit with shock and pain, so I'm sure it was slightly terrifying for him.  I got back to my seat, buckled myself in, and I proceeded to cry.  It was just too much stress.

And two blocks later, Daniel said in a low, calculated voice, "I do not like that crying."

I was floored.  Really?  Seriously?  I took a deep breath and said, in an equally low, calculated voice, "Well, Daniel, I do not like when you yell and cry and scream to get your way when you could just listen to me when I give you choices."

Silence.

And then, "I do not like that mean voice."

I gave up.

I dropped them at school and gave them hugs and kisses, noting that there were no remnants of their bad moods at all.  When I came back at the end of the day to pick them up they can streaming up to me to hug me, huge smiles on their faces, and Daniel saying, "Mommy!  I do not want you to get hurt and use your mean voice on the way home."  I guess that's an apology?

It had been Caroline who acted up more often, but she has balanced out a bit (knocking furiously on wood) and recently when she gave me a hard time in the morning she actually apologized as we drove away in the car telling me she was sorry she had been mean to me.  So maybe with a little bit more self-recognition all around we can turn a corner.

But, man, just tell me it gets easier as they get older....please?