Do mice climb walls? Yes. In Africa, at least, they do. AND don’t believe what they tell you about the thick foil pouches keeping the smell of food from escaping so that the mice don’t smell it and won’t try to chew through. They do it anyway.
Should I consider a tankini for swimming? If you’re a nursing mother and you want to join your family on a swim outing, I recommend wearing a tankini.
Are electric pianos worth considering? Yes. Especially if they have really cool demo buttons with multiple songs to choose from so your kids can be occupied for hours without too much intervention. It’s also nice knowing that you don’t have to tune it again after every move.
Can you send exercise bikes overseas? I don’t know…yet…
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Reflections on a Fourth Child
I’ve had lots of time to think about the difference between having 4 children and way back when I only had one. There are a lot of differences, obviously, but I thought I’d share a few of those thoughts with all you lucky readers (all 4 of you…)
One child:
As soon as the baby cries you run in and pick him up…and wonder why he never ‘wants’ to sleep.
Four children:
What? You hear someone crying? I don’t.
One Child:
You sit and nurse in complete silence and wonder if you’ll ever be able to do anything again.
Four Children:
You nurse while getting snacks for the others…making lunch, dinner, breakfast…reading stories…carrying the toddler…helping the others do a ‘fun project’…
One Child:
You never get time to shower. You’re overwhelmed by how much you have to do.
Four Children:
Need a shower? No problem! There’s even time to dry your hair, put in contacts, and apply make-up! (As long as you don’t mind the screaming fest in the other room…but that’s why you use the ear plugs provided by your local airline service…)
One Child:
You keep your baby in your room next to your bed while you’re ‘sleeping’…you can’t imagine being parted with your little one for even a moment! (And again, you wonder why the baby never sleeps)
Four Children:
All children are in their OWN rooms. I didn’t hear anyone all night long! He he he he…
One Child:
You never get a chance to eat, as each time you start to prepare something, the baby starts crying and you assume he wants the same thing, so you sit down for another long feeding before you get to eat.
Four Children:
I’m hungry. You can just cry. (As you’ve finally realized that the reason the baby was constantly hungry the first time is because YOU WERE TOO!!)
One Child:
You play soft music to keep the baby calm. Sometimes you sway around the living room in quiet bliss.
Four Children:
You play toddler tunes as loudly as possible and all of you run in crazy circles.
One Child:
You never ever want to have more children because it was just so much hard work and you love that little one SO MUCH that you could never love any other children as much.
Four Children:
Maybe I could do five…or six because it’s an even number…or seven because I’ve heard it’s the ‘perfect’ number…or eight because that’s how many Devin comes from…
One Child:
DON’T YOU DARE MAKE ONE PEEP WHILE THE BABY IS NAPPING OR I’LL SHOOT YOU!
Four Children:
Oh, look, the baby fell asleep on the floor again! Let’s keep running around him in circles and giggling and see if he keeps sleeping!
One Child:
Stress every moment about whether the baby is eating the right food or getting the right amount of sleep, or whether you’re doing everything you’re ‘supposed’ to (meaning you’ve read and believe everything all those baby books tell you…), such as stimulating the baby with educational things and singing the ‘right’ songs, etc.
Four children:
You finally realize that that baby is going to get stimulated whether you do anything or not! And he won’t get brain damage if you don’t wave that rattle in front of his face the whole time he’s awake. All they need is you and some love and TLC…
One Child:
If anyone’s older kid gets near your baby you freak out! Don’t get so close!!
Four Children:
You lay the baby on the ground and all his siblings migrate over immediately (it’s seriously like the baby is magnetized!), and you’re happy to see that they love their baby brother so much! Other kids touching the baby? No problem. He gets much worse at home!
One Child:
GERMS!! Must sterilize everything! No dirt! No going outside!
Four Children:
Germs? Bring ‘em on! This kid needs a good immune system!
One Child:
I never get any sleep! I’m going crazy!!!!
Four Children:
Wow. If only I realized how good I had it when I only had ONE kid waking me up in the middle of the night!
One Child:
You’re wondering how best to discipline your child, and every book/magazine you read says something different…What do you do???
Four Children:
Realize it’s all about example and love—hang what every book and magazine has to say.
One Child:
You freak out when the baby gets more mobile and starts making messes (this does continue through to the second child, and sometimes even on to the third…) All you can think about is how much time this is going to take YOU to clean up…
Four Children:
What, you poured out all the flour to make some bread for me? How sweet of you! You took all your blankets and sheets off your bed and stuffed them in the bathtub then hauled your mattress over to use as a slide? How creative!
One Child:
You feel stuck. You feel like you just can’t go anywhere because of the baby and your ‘schedule’ (what schedule, really?) The baby would start to fuss and you’d have to feed him or something would happen and you just don’t know how you’d handle it.
Four Children:
We are NOT staying inside a minute longer! Bring the diaper bag, strap on the baby and load the others into the jogging stroller! We’re going for a walk or to play at a friend’s or SOMEWHERE!!! Let’s just GO!!!
One child:
As soon as the baby cries you run in and pick him up…and wonder why he never ‘wants’ to sleep.
Four children:
What? You hear someone crying? I don’t.
One Child:
You sit and nurse in complete silence and wonder if you’ll ever be able to do anything again.
Four Children:
You nurse while getting snacks for the others…making lunch, dinner, breakfast…reading stories…carrying the toddler…helping the others do a ‘fun project’…
One Child:
You never get time to shower. You’re overwhelmed by how much you have to do.
Four Children:
Need a shower? No problem! There’s even time to dry your hair, put in contacts, and apply make-up! (As long as you don’t mind the screaming fest in the other room…but that’s why you use the ear plugs provided by your local airline service…)
One Child:
You keep your baby in your room next to your bed while you’re ‘sleeping’…you can’t imagine being parted with your little one for even a moment! (And again, you wonder why the baby never sleeps)
Four Children:
All children are in their OWN rooms. I didn’t hear anyone all night long! He he he he…
One Child:
You never get a chance to eat, as each time you start to prepare something, the baby starts crying and you assume he wants the same thing, so you sit down for another long feeding before you get to eat.
Four Children:
I’m hungry. You can just cry. (As you’ve finally realized that the reason the baby was constantly hungry the first time is because YOU WERE TOO!!)
One Child:
You play soft music to keep the baby calm. Sometimes you sway around the living room in quiet bliss.
Four Children:
You play toddler tunes as loudly as possible and all of you run in crazy circles.
One Child:
You never ever want to have more children because it was just so much hard work and you love that little one SO MUCH that you could never love any other children as much.
Four Children:
Maybe I could do five…or six because it’s an even number…or seven because I’ve heard it’s the ‘perfect’ number…or eight because that’s how many Devin comes from…
One Child:
DON’T YOU DARE MAKE ONE PEEP WHILE THE BABY IS NAPPING OR I’LL SHOOT YOU!
Four Children:
Oh, look, the baby fell asleep on the floor again! Let’s keep running around him in circles and giggling and see if he keeps sleeping!
One Child:
Stress every moment about whether the baby is eating the right food or getting the right amount of sleep, or whether you’re doing everything you’re ‘supposed’ to (meaning you’ve read and believe everything all those baby books tell you…), such as stimulating the baby with educational things and singing the ‘right’ songs, etc.
Four children:
You finally realize that that baby is going to get stimulated whether you do anything or not! And he won’t get brain damage if you don’t wave that rattle in front of his face the whole time he’s awake. All they need is you and some love and TLC…
One Child:
If anyone’s older kid gets near your baby you freak out! Don’t get so close!!
Four Children:
You lay the baby on the ground and all his siblings migrate over immediately (it’s seriously like the baby is magnetized!), and you’re happy to see that they love their baby brother so much! Other kids touching the baby? No problem. He gets much worse at home!
One Child:
GERMS!! Must sterilize everything! No dirt! No going outside!
Four Children:
Germs? Bring ‘em on! This kid needs a good immune system!
One Child:
I never get any sleep! I’m going crazy!!!!
Four Children:
Wow. If only I realized how good I had it when I only had ONE kid waking me up in the middle of the night!
One Child:
You’re wondering how best to discipline your child, and every book/magazine you read says something different…What do you do???
Four Children:
Realize it’s all about example and love—hang what every book and magazine has to say.
One Child:
You freak out when the baby gets more mobile and starts making messes (this does continue through to the second child, and sometimes even on to the third…) All you can think about is how much time this is going to take YOU to clean up…
Four Children:
What, you poured out all the flour to make some bread for me? How sweet of you! You took all your blankets and sheets off your bed and stuffed them in the bathtub then hauled your mattress over to use as a slide? How creative!
One Child:
You feel stuck. You feel like you just can’t go anywhere because of the baby and your ‘schedule’ (what schedule, really?) The baby would start to fuss and you’d have to feed him or something would happen and you just don’t know how you’d handle it.
Four Children:
We are NOT staying inside a minute longer! Bring the diaper bag, strap on the baby and load the others into the jogging stroller! We’re going for a walk or to play at a friend’s or SOMEWHERE!!! Let’s just GO!!!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Hopscotch and Eye Patches
I taught Andrew and Claire how to play hopscotch. It was SO FUNNY!!!
The other day, we opened up one of the complimentary things that you get on the airplane…it includes earplugs, toothbrush with toothpaste, hand sanitizing wipe, eye covers for you to sleep with (I know they have a name, but it is escaping me at the moment…) I took the eye covers and put them over my eyes then started to roar like a monster and ‘chase’ the kids around (I couldn’t see anything) and they thought it was hilarious! So I said that we could use them as blindfolds for games! Then, Claire thought up another alternative:
Oh, she cracks me up!!
The other day, we opened up one of the complimentary things that you get on the airplane…it includes earplugs, toothbrush with toothpaste, hand sanitizing wipe, eye covers for you to sleep with (I know they have a name, but it is escaping me at the moment…) I took the eye covers and put them over my eyes then started to roar like a monster and ‘chase’ the kids around (I couldn’t see anything) and they thought it was hilarious! So I said that we could use them as blindfolds for games! Then, Claire thought up another alternative:
Oh, she cracks me up!!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Playgroup Bonanza
I think we’ve had playgroup pretty much every day since we got back. It’s been so much fun! It keeps the kids busy and happy, away from the television (we’ve watched ONE movie since coming home! Wow!!), and I get to sit and chat with my friends! Yea! Sadly, I should be taking my camera with me more often, as we do some super fun things… At one play group, they invited a professional African drummer to come and teach the kids to play the Tam-Tams! It was SO cute! Claire was shaking some maracas and she had some sweet rhythm going on! It was so fun to watch all TWELVE of those little kids banging away! (I’m sure we’ll do it again, so I’ll get pictures eventually…)
Here are a few pictures from playgroup at our house at snack time. I couldn’t get everyone all in at the same time, but you get the idea:
Here are a few pictures from playgroup at our house at snack time. I couldn’t get everyone all in at the same time, but you get the idea:
Monday, March 9, 2009
Two Months
Peter is TWO months old! And that poor kid’s been traveling all over! He’s never been in one place for more than two weeks. Idaho…St.George…Orem…Idaho…Switzerland…Cameroon… Can’t keep a good man down! (Or baby, for that matter) And, just so you know, he weighs in at over 12 pounds now. I continue to feed my children cement. It does them good.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Birthday Bash!
About 4 children (probably more…) had or will have birthdays this month, so they combined them all together and had one big party for them! It was SO fun, and I was completely shocked by how many children there really are here! It’s amazing! This has really turned into a family post, and it makes it so fun!
Here are some fun pictures from the festivities:
Here are some fun pictures from the festivities:
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
A Nut and a List
We were at playgroup today, and Andrew comes up to me with this scowl on his face and states: "I don't want to eat my food because I'm grumpy!" Ha!!!
In other news: Our bid list is in. Surprisingly, right before we sent it in, we made some big changes from what we'd thought it should be! I guess you all know how much we love surprises and to mix things up! So, we should find out by the end of next month. The poll will stay open until the end of this month, so if you haven't voted yet, feel free to do so! Once we know where we're going, we'll post what we ended up sending in and where we'll be next year!
In other news: Our bid list is in. Surprisingly, right before we sent it in, we made some big changes from what we'd thought it should be! I guess you all know how much we love surprises and to mix things up! So, we should find out by the end of next month. The poll will stay open until the end of this month, so if you haven't voted yet, feel free to do so! Once we know where we're going, we'll post what we ended up sending in and where we'll be next year!
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