Christmas Cards....check

Perhaps you remember reading about the great picture debacle of '06.

It all started back in September at a local apple farm. Sure, it was early. But, I figured if I could get a good shot of the three of them, then why not?

Then I tried taking advantage of the beautiful fall backdrops at a pumpkin festival in early October.

Next I decided to go the professional route, figuring they could use their expertise and silly props to at least get all three looking in the same directions with a smile on their face.

I decided to give it one more shot on a warm fall day in November.

And then I gave up. I just took photos of the three of them seperately and made a collage card at an online phot site. Trying to get a photo of Ciara was like trying to pin down a sheep for shearing. As it is her photo turned out slightly blurry. But you can't tell. That much.

p.s. I have no less than 11 boys holiday sweaters from various sisters-in-law whose sons have outgrown them. None of them are even slightly complementary to each other thus I had to take a picture of Aidan in a sweater, take it off him and put it on Gavin and then take a picture of him so the card would not be so "busy".

Note to Self:

Never leave almost-16 month old alone with 3 year old brother who is doing dot paints.

Not even for 6 seconds while you go to the kitchen (5 steps away) to get a paper towel.

3 years coming

Something happened today that I have dreamed about for three years.

The boys played together. In an organized fashion.

Normally they have such different interests. Gavin builds with Duplos. Aidan colors at the table. Gavin makes elaborate meals in the play kitchen. Aidan colors at the table. Gavin does puzzle after puzzle. Aidan colors.....you get it. Aidan does not have as much interest in imaginative play as Gavin does. Until yesterday that is, which is why I was so excited about it.

I announced the TV was going off and they would have to find other means to occupy themselves. I fully expected Aidan to withdraw to his crayons, pencils, markers and paper. But instead, he joined Gavin as he packed up our Little Tikes shopping cart and announced he was going on a trip. They then proceeded to make circles throughout the kitchen, dining room and foyer in an effort to get to wherever it was they were going (with Ciara in hot pursuit). All the while Aidan is trying to tell Gavin some of his ideas and Gavin is largely ignoring him. Suddenly Aidan stops and says in a stern voice "Gavin! Look at me, I need to tell you something." Gavin does so (surprisingly) and Aidan continues: "Gavin, do not talk to me like that. And #2, no screaming." I just about burst out laughing because Gavin was doing neither of the two. However, Aidan's words made me figure they really are listening when we discipline them as much as it seems they aren't.

The funny thing was, Gavin totally listened to Aidan and said "OK, I won't."

Maybe I should just have his brother discipline him from now on?

One year later...

Taken Thanksgiving Day 2005:


Taken Thanksgiving Day 2006:

Amazing how much they grow and mature in one year. Happy Thanksgiving! (one day late...).

Friendship Feast

Tomorrow, Aidan and Gavin's preschool class is having a Friendship Feast. They will stand on the "big stage" and say some cute little turkey poems and sing some cute little turkey songs. Then they will have a feast of turkey, stuffing, corn and cookies. Lastly, they will exchange Friendship Necklaces they have been working on in class.

I was telling someone (a much older someone) about this "Friendship Feast" and was met with a response I wasn't expecting. "Friendship Feast? What, now they can't call it Thanksgiving anymore? Now even 3 year olds need to be politically correct?" I was kind of taken aback because I thought it was such a good idea. Instead of focusing on Pilgrims and Indians, which is a topic way over their heads in my opinion, they are focusing on the importance of friendship. Helping, caring, loving.

I know the boys will learn about Thanksgiving, Pilgrims, Indians, Plymouth Rock, Squanto and everything in between for some 12 years once they hit Kindergarten.

I think Friendship is a good place to start.

Not the nap. Please. Not. the. nap.

As I am sitting here at the computer, Gavin is chitter chattering away to himself in his bedroom. I just peeked in and Aidan is passed out despite the noise in there. Gavin asked if it was time to get up. I told him he had to stay quietly in his room even if he wasn't going to sleep because it was Mommy's quiet time.

This is the day I have dreaded since they turned 3. I knew my days of silence at 2 p.m. were numbered. Ciara dropped her morning nap about two weeks ago so now all three are usually in bed at 1:30 or so. It is my sanity-saving time to recharge my Mom batteries. Now for the past four days, Gavin has not fallen asleep. But Aidan has. Which puts us in a quandry for bedtime. Gavin, having not napped, could easily go in at 7:15 or so but then Aidan is not tired at that time. And there is no way one would go without the other. So, Gavin stays up until the regular 8:30 bedtime and proceeds to have a full-blown meltdown somewhere in there. So clearly, if he is going to stay up until 8:30, he needs a nap.

Now, I could just have Aidan not nap so they both went to bed at 7:15 but he is asleep within minutes of hitting the pillow in the afternoon so he clearly still needs his nap as well. Not to mention, if they were in bed at 7:15 sans nap then Sean would spend less than an hour with them between the time he got home from work and their bedtime.

Also not to mention, I would go C.R.A.Z.Y . if they didn't nap.

Gavin is still chattering away to himself in there. Rats.

Being a mom just got a little tougher.

Stealth Baby

Ciara is so much worse at doing things she shouldn't be than either of the boys were at this age. And to top it off, she is silent when doing these things.

We have a jack and jill staircase so I need to have two baby gates preventing Ciara from roaming to the second floor. One of the baby gates is not properly installed because the baseboard on the bottom of the wall makes it uneven. So we must just fit it into the space at the base of the stairs and then prop a chair in front of it to keep Ciara from going up. I cannot tell you how many times a day I find her on those stairs. If I am changing the boys or letting the dog out the front door, she hightails it for that gate and silently moves the chair, then the gate and is up the stairs like a shot.

The other night Iwas in the kitchen making dinner and Ciara was with me. She then wandered into the dining room and was quiet for about 30 seconds. I walked in to find this:

Ciara had pulled a chair out and climbed onto the table to get her brother's Halloween stash. And I didn't hear a thing.

I am in trouble with this one.

15 months!

My baby is 15 months. I know I may be sounding trite but I just can't believe how fast the time has passed. Everyone says it does but you just 'yes, I know' them to death and wish they would leave you alone.

But it really does go fast. I can see that now.

So, here she is. 15 months. She seems to do everything so much faster than her brothers. Climbing, running, understanding every single thing you say to her. She loves when her brothers chase her through the house in huge circles. Dining room, kitchen, hallway, foyer. Over and over again. Sometimes she eggs them on by switching off the TV while they are watching and then run giggling from the room.

She is not talking much but she can sure get her point across. She walks over to the snack cabinet and points upwards and grunts. If the grunting does not elicit an immediate response, it turns into screeches. If her brothers have a snack she wants, she will walk up to them and point to whatever they are eating and say "mama"? "Mama" seems to be the universal word for everything in Ciara's world.

Ciara is a big hugger. Each morning when I retrieve her from her crib, she waves and smiles. I pick her up and she puts her arms around my neck and squeezes. I think that may be my favorite part of the day. She now gives kisses when you ask her to. "Can I have a kiss?" will result in Ciara coming at you, open mouthed, to plant one on your face somewhere.

Yes, the time does fly and you wish you could slow it down.

But with each new day comes new discoveries, new skills, new memories.