Weirdest. Thing. Ever.

OK, so tonight at dinner we have some awesome stir fry (made by yours truly) that of course the boys barely touched.  punks. and ended dinner with some fresh cut pineapple.  It was pretty acidic, but nothing that was really bothering me (and my lips get swollen if i eat a whole orange).  I look over at Aidan who has been sucking down piece after piece and it looks like he has bitten his lip and is BLEEDING like crazy.  I ask curt if he had fallen earlier while I was making dinner and he doesn't remember anything and I asked Aidan if he had bitten his lip and he said "nope". (really, "nope" - too funny)  I don't think too much of it b/c he is still asking for more pineapple.  I then notice that the pineapple is yellow and pink from all of the blood and his hands are covered in blood.  Curt is in the kitchen and I grab one of the rags and ask him to open his mouth.  Both his tongue and the whole inside of his lower lip looks like someone has taken a tiny razor to them and he has DOZENS of spots where blood is pooling up and coming out.

Aidan gets a haircut!  He held on to that sucker FOREVER without finishing it . . ..

It doesn't seem to bother him, but it bothered me - bleh.  so that was his last piece of fresh cut pineapple for awhile and we had him start chugging cold water with the hope that it would wash away some of the acidity and gave him an "ice cube popsicle" to cut down on any swelling he might have.  has anyone ever seen this???  it is quite possibly the strangest thing I have ever seen . . .

Who says parenting is hard?  Just put one of them in a cage/hamper (B, A, G)

anyway, other news.  i am constantly amazed by all of the new and different things the boys can do.  They have all started yelling "I did it myself!" after they do random things - climb into a chair, buckle themselves into their boosters, zip their hoody (with help), etc.  It's so fun to see that independent spirit, even though i'm sure i will one day sob b/c they don't "need" me any more.

The boyz (B, A, G)

Brady is a WHIZ with his manners these days.  He regularly says please and thank you without suggestion, and he also loves to bring his brothers their stuffed animals.  He wants them to return the favor, but Aidan and Gavin don't often think to do it unless Brady says "I want aidan/gavin to get it".  Sometimes the brother will hear it and respond, other times we have to ask (b/c if we get it for him, it's just NOT good enough).  Brady also likes to direct others' play.  we will often hear "come here honey" or "sit here" in his sweet little voice as he tries to convince his brothers to do whatever.

Snuggles for Brady and Dad

Haircuts mean SUCKERS! (G, A, B)

Aidan is QUITE the broom/guitar player.  He has all kinds of dance moves and LOVES to play along to just about any song on.  he also LOVES eating my tomatoes right off the vine.  I usually pick them when i get home from work and he is always right behind me asking if he can hold them.  He then eats at least one or two right then and there.

Sheriff Gavin is in town

Gavin knows all songs and the order in which they come on our CDs.  His FAVORITE song right now is "I've got a feeling" from the Black Eyed Peas.  His favorite thing to do to it is to jump.  the whole time.  I have some great video i need to play with to cut it down, but so you can see the magic from beginning to end.  Gavin also knows if you skip a page in any of their books and he will make sure you go back.  It's pretty incredible what he must have stored up there.  He also likes to recite from some of his books if you say a word that triggers his memory.  If you don't know the book, it sounds like gibberish, but when you realize it's from "One Fish, Two Fish" or whatever, it also clicks with you as to why he's saying it.

We love playing in the puddles from mommy watering her tomato plants! (B, A, G)

Aidan and Dad chill

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

No, i'm not talking about the movie with Steve Martin and John Candy.  Yesterday Curt and I had the Planes, Trains and Automobiles of having children.  All within about an hour.  It was ridiculous.

The Singing Dunes of Qatar - the people look like ants!

We were invited to head to the Singing Sand Dunes west of Doha with a caravan of other families from the compound for the late afternoon/dinner time.  It's probably the longest car ride the boys have been on and they loved it.  When my folks were here in December we moved one car seat to the "WAY" back and the boys fight over who gets to ride int he back, so we never moved it.  It was an extra special car ride for Gavin on the way there and Aidan on the way back.  But I digress . . . anyway, so we get to the dunes, it's breezy and cool as the sun is beginning to set, there are some Qatari guys duning in 4 wheelers that the kids were at once scared of (loud) and fascinated by.  We get out of the cars and all of the big kids hit the dunes like swarming ants climbing as though they had a biological imperative.  it was hysterical!

Curt and Aidan checking out the scene

The boys loved climbing the dunes, playing in the sand and in general chilling out and watching their surroundings.  After about an hour, we all slid down the dunes (also quite fun) and had a picnic dinner with lots of other folks.  We were in the car by 6PM and headed home.  The boys were tired but they didn't even fall asleep on the way home - i think they were too wired from all of the excitement! :)

Curt has Gavin, Heidi (purple) has Brady and I have Aidan - Up we go!

We walk in the front door about 6:45PM and Gavin promptly pukes in the entryway.  Luckily it was all on tile and his shoes (some clothes) so it was fairly easy cleanup.  We managed to keep Aidan and Brady out of it until we could clean it up and clorox the floor and Gavin seemed like he was OK.  I took A&B upstairs so they could see Grandma and Grandpa V and i could start getting them ready for bed and curt could give Gavin a  breathing treatment since Curt's back was bothering him.  The boys basically jumped on the bed FILLING it with sand since Aidan's new trick is to unmake our bed.  I get Brady on the changing table and I hear Curt say "Belle, I need you to come down here".  pretty calm, considering.  i start to leave, then remember to get Brady down so he doesn't fall and hurt himself and then i think to grab a few towels.  I get downstairs and Gavin has puked all over himself, the nebulizer mask, curt, etc.  he is pretty calm, as is curt and  begin to wipe the puke off of everything I can.  I cover gavin in a towel and begin to bring him upstairs to put in the tub when I hear Aidan screaming bloody murder.  I get to the top of the stairs and he is bleeding from his mouth.  kind of a lot.  So I put Gavin in the tub with the towel and no water, turn on the light and then tend to Aidan.  He has either fallen on his toothbrush or off the bed and somehow bit his tongue, which of course, bleeds like crazy.  he is fine.

Aidan says "Onward March Mommy!"

Dad, Gavin and Brady enjoy the scenery and sand between their toes . . .

The Happy Family BEFORE the mess (G, A, B)

So, as I begin to get Gavin's diaper off and the water going to be able to spray him off, Curt comes up, still in his puke clothes.  Still not sure why he didn't take them off and leave them downstairs where the washer is, but it wasn't the time to ask. :) So all 5 of us are in the bathroom, curt trying to take off his puke clothes without getting more on himself or the floor, Aidan and Brady trying to climb in the tub and Gavin sitting calmly in the water.  I get Aidan ad Brady in the tub and then with Curt's back being bad he says since he is already on the ground, he will wash them if I can get the bed ready with towels, PJs, etc.  I am laying out towels and creams and stuff and I hear "Dammit!"  I think, oh no, Gavin has puked again.  I run into the bathroom and ask what happened. "Aidan pooped in the tub."  I begin DYING LAUGHING.  Curt is not.  the boys are all standing up looking at the floating turds (there are several) and trying to avoid them (smart).  we drain the tub, pick out the poops, spray the boys down, the tub, each of the non=slip things on the bottom of the tub and start the baths over.  I am still laughing.  We get everyone washed, lubed up, and in PJs.  Aidan then asks for a book - child after my own heart.  we read ONE BOOK. they are in bed by 7:45 PM.  yes folks, 2 pukes, a bloody lip and poop in the tub all in one hour.  Gotta love life with multiples.  We still have about 45 minutes of spraying off and cleaning and beginning laundry, and cleaning out the car, etc. before we sit down to watch The Daily Show to pick up the pieces of the last hour of our life, but otherwise Curt and I are intact.

Gavin, Brady and Aidan enjoy a picnic dinner at the dunes before we head home  How cute are they?!