Everything New

Update 2/25/07

Crazy Busy Week

What a week I've had! Not having our wonderful nanny with us on outings is SO hard but I decided we'd had enough of just hanging around at home. For the first time ever, I braved it and took my little trifecta of terror to McDonalds to the play area by myself. I had a game plan and I was pretty confident it would all go smoothly. Wrong! Nadia got stuck up in the tubes and I had to rely on strangers to guard the only escape-route out of the play area, while I snaked up into the tubes to retrieve Nadia. Rounding them up to go home was another story.

On the way out, we were just a freak show. I had a bag of food, my purse, towing the choo-choo wagon and trying to maneuver it all out the door, sharp right angle and into the parking lot. All the while, the kids were crying because they didn't want to leave. I felt so frustrated struggling while people just sat, mouths hanging open staring. I know they didn't see a mom who could use a hand. They were dumbfounded. But that didn't make me feel any better about it. We'll wait for a while before I try that again.

We had a similar experience when I flew solo with them to Barnes & Noble, to Publix and to the doctor. I look forward to reporting one day that an outing actually went smoothly. It will happen eventually.... won't it?

We had an interesting day at the Tampa Renaissance Festival today. What a cool event. Like Halloween for grown-ups is how we described it to a leery Angus. Because we brought the choo-choo wagon (our preferred mode of transportation) we had a lot of attention. The little ones were understandably freaked out by people decked out in the likes of Jack Sparrow coming up to them going "Arrggghh!" We had fun with it. Mostly, I like going out in cognito (as much as one can do it with a train in tow), but getting the attention of all of the performance artists was like watching our own personal show. Below is a little clip of a pirate who will be auditioning on Monday for Disney to play the part of Jack Sparrow for upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean events. He commandeered our vessel, so to speak, and pulled the little ones around all over the park, which was as much entertainment for Loren and me and the kids as it was for the crowds. Kelli and her friend were a bit weirded out by it.

I did have one of the most embarrassing moments ever, today. While waiting for Angus to finish a ride at the Renaissance Festival, I waited with the little ones. I backed over a rope that was staked in the ground and I went flying. Not that people weren't already looking at us. There I was crumpled up, bloody elbow and bloody knee, lying on the ground with a train of children at my side. I just wanted to hide.

Last week I painted a chalkboard on the wall for the wee ones which proved to be a great hit. Angus has taken such an interest this past week in writing letters and spelled Max's name on the chalkboard without prompting or coaching. Big feat for him as he's not a kid to dwell on trivial matters like ABC's.

Ruca, Max and Nadia are cruising along past their intense temper tantrum phase. They're beginning the age of reason and communication skills are increasing. Ruca and Nadia are speaking in full sentences now and expressing more abstract thoughts like "Angus is a dummy," etc. Max is on his own program. His language development is behind the girls, but he's a whiz at counting to 20 and saying his ABC's.

Here's a little audio clip of Kelli when she was a six-year-old. She played a celebrity guest, starring herself, at a radio station where I worked. From start to finish, it's CUTE, CUTE, CUTE. Even to the very end, you can find yourself chuckling and saying "awwwww" to the sweet innocence of my little girl.

New section of Mosts here. My edited hypnobirthing video and story are coming soon. Almost done. It's been nice reliving one of the most wonderful moments of my life while writing about it, and I'm excited to share it.