Update 9-7-08

The Eye of the Hurricane

Just when I think I have these children figured out....

Our family has a new schedule with Angus heading off to kindergarten this year.  Angus and Loren leave early in the A.M. I spend a little more time at home getting the trio ready to head out the door to their preschool, and then I'm off to work. 

    This past week, I left the little ones out in the living room on their own to take a quick shower.  They're nearing the age of four and we normally have more relaxed moments than stressed ones now, thankfully.  Anyway, I briefed them on the basics -- you know, don't poke your sister's eye out while I'm showering, don't use heavy machinery, don't answer the door -- that sort of thing.  And when they were comfortably seated on the couch in front of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, I dashed off for a brief but very necessary shower.

    Of course, when I returned to the living room, Ruca, Nadia and Max were nowhere in sight.  Pause to listen.  I heard giggles coming from the laundry room.  In my head, split-second thoughts came rushing in as I darted toward the door:  Oh, my gosh, they've put the cat in the washer!  Jeez, they climbed up on a shelf, found the flour and are dusting the laundry room with it right now!  THOSE LITTLE MONSTERS!!!

    With a typical mom-getting-ready-to-yell-at-kids face and with more than a little dread, I opened the laundry room door...only to be surprised by the lovely sweet heartwarming sight of my three sweet angels sitting cross-legged in front of our Chihuahua in her crate, each with a book in his or her hand and a flashlight with the beam trained on our little doggie.  They just wanted to read Lemmy some stories. 

    Awww, how sweet, I thought.  I take back all of those nasty things I was just thinking about you little animals...um, I mean angels.  After I ran for my camera and snapped a few pictures,  I crouched down next to them and watched them finish their stories with Lemmy.

    So, then I have to ask myself...is this the eye of the hurricane?  Or, could they really be turning over a new leaf?  Can we finally see a light at the end of the tunnel?  I won't let my guard down until I know for sure.  I think that's always the safest bet, but it seems there's hope.

Gotta love living in Florida (for the most part).  This month:

• We went to MOSI

• Went to the Florida Aquarium

• Went to Sea World

• Went to Wonderworks

• Went to Indian Rocks Beach

• Took a day off from school and work and waited out a hurricane that never hit

Also worth mentioning -- our triplets all got their first freckles this past month -- in the same week, even!

Angus's new things:

• He's loving life in kindergarten and doing very well, staying on task everyday and coming home with a surprise from the treasure box (his reward for good behavior).

• Angus is back in karate.  He had a smile so big that it looked like it hurt as his first class started.  I, of course, had tears of joy for him.

Ruca's new things:

Her new thing is to take note of the things we don't do and create what we call Ruca's Rules.  Ruca's Rules consist of things like:

• "We don't poke your eyeball out, Daddy.  No.  That would hurt.  So we don't poke your eyeball out."

• "We don't bite your tongue, Mommy.  No.  Because that would make you sad.  So we don't bite your tongue."

•  "We don't lick your toenail, Daddy.  No....."

I have to say that I like Ruca's Rules.  She has a new and completely different set of rules every day and we can't wait to hear them.

Nadia's new things: 

• Nadia has decided that she's not teeny-tiny any longer.  She proclaims daily that she's a big girl now, apparently in response to her upcoming 4th birthday. 

Max's new things:

• Max starts almost every sentence with "because..."  It's quite cute. 

• Max's favorite things to point out to us on outings are water towers and "baby hangers."  Baby hangers are his way of referring to cranes that stand near building construction.  He saw a movie in which a baby was hanging from one (Baby's Day Out) and that's what he think cranes are used for.

I love the way they think!

Here are some video and photo highlights of this past month for your viewing pleasure.

Angus -- off to kindergarten!

Rumple playing fetch.

Our new chore chart is working well!	Awesome day learning how to use a boogie board.	Ruca prefers to use hers for sunbathing. Notice Nadia and Loren behind her looking on.
The guys trying to catch a wave.	Ruca and Angus buried in the sand.	So much fun!
What's better than 4 well-behaved children sitting quietly?	A big group hug.	Ruca, my little ham!
I dotted our playroom wall with glow-in-the-dark paint. The girls "helped" by smearing some of it.	Careful, Nadia, or it'll stay that way.	Angus's 1st day of kindergarten.
The little ones got to see Angus off in his classroom.	Nadia was very sad to leave Angus.	Max was sad, too.
Ruca worked very hard at trying to be sad.	Just messing around with stickers from work.	Max fell asleep on his floor.
Four Leapsters sure do consume a lot of batteries!	Ruca with her new triplets.	Nadia, buried in the sand.
Ruca and Nadia in a wind tunnel.	Ruca and Nadia were fascinated by the NICU isolette display at MOSI, complete with preemie baby.	Ruca, putting it on, again.
Our 4 (Angus is behind Nadia) in a hurricane demo.	The Rhotons certainly are a presence. Especially when they're running up and down a giant keyboard.	Max, Nadia and Ruca off to their first day of the new preschool year.
Grandpa with the trio.	I just love this picture.	In our new pool.
My 4 little ones.	Group hug in the pool.	Ring around the rosie in the pool.
Angus, sporting his cool goggles in the pool.	Max and Loren on the S.S. Victory ship on a special Max Day.	Max's introduction to pool on Max's special day out.
Glow sticks on a neighborhood walk.	Nadia with her glow stick.	Fun with glow sticks.
Me with my trio. Angus took this picture.	Max, not quite awake.	Not just sisters - best friends.
Why make meat loaf when you can make meat baby.	Meat baby, yum!