My Kids Make Me Laugh

On the first night Curt was gone for his Visit Day in Iowa I went in to check on the boys before I went to bed. I open the door and nearly TRIP over Aidan laying on the floor in the fetus position at the edge of the rug. I have NO IDEA why he was there (i'm glad i was going slowly) but it reminded me of the nap time about 2 weeks ago when in the middle of the nap I hear him cry for me. I go and see what is up and he is on the changing table with his paci, and rabbits and is saying "I want down!" I pick him up from the changing table and as I turn to put him back in bed I see Brady and Gavin have these GRINS on their faces watching us. I ask Aidan what the matter is, and he says "They put me up there!" What I'm guessing he ACTUALLY meant was "They put me up to this!"(he is the only one who hasn't quite figured out how to climb DOWN from the changing table). So I tell him it's time to go back to napping and then I give B&G my "mean mom" look and tell them they need to fall asleep themselves. But I must admit, I was DYING to laugh out loud!

The boys like their swim caps . . . (BAG) I love how Aidan made it a legionnaire's hat . .. 

A couple of nights into Curt's US visit, Brady woke up itchy in the middle of the night. Aidan then says he needs to go pee, so I tell him to go while I lotion Brady up. I hear him go in the bathroom, close the door, AND LOCK IT. At 2 AM. awesome. I finish with Brady and wait in the hallway for a few minutes. It's pretty quiet so I figure he has fallen asleep and i'm going to have to break in the bathroom. As I'm heading to my room to look for a coin to jimmy the lock, I start to hear him move around and then BAM! Fall off of the stool they use to get up and down from the toilet! He of course is crying, I run back without anything useful, Brady is saying "Mom, what's wrong with Aidan?". I tell him he needs to unlock the door for me if he can (he's really into privacy these days, but this was the first time he had locked the door on me!) and thankfully he does. The poor kid is standing there with his PJs and undies off, crying and holding the back of his head. I am guessing he had fallen asleep on the pot, woken up (sort of) and tried to get down without being fully awake. Poor Kid. Now, for those of you who thought it was weird he was wearing a helmet on the pot a few posts ago - now you know it's a necessity in our house! ;)

More Singing Sand Dunes pics - GAB - yes, they are that steep

Gavin makes his way down . . .

The kids snack as they fight off flies (B, Alexandra, Johanna, A, G)

This morning when I dropped the boys at their Arabic class, Mrs. Reem (language teacher) stops me and says, "I must tell you, your boy (Brady) is so SENSITIVE! He is always trying to corral his brothers and is always looking out for them and making sure they are OK. Even when we are singing, he is looking around for them and making sure they are nearby. I almost NEVER see this sort of care with kids this age." I tell her thank you and that pretty much reflects what we see at home (I don't tell her he is also the first to make his brothers cry other times), because it is true. She was like "Really? He is like this at home too? That is wonderful, it is so touching to see." Makes Mom's heart beat a little bit bigger :)

And dear, sweet Gavin. The morning Curt and I were talking about making an offer on the IC house, Gavin was up first (surprise, surprise). I love that he totally gets that if he's quiet he can come and have some one on one time with me/us until it's time to get his brothers up. He came in to sit on my lap while Curt and Larry and I talked and the pics of the house were on the screen. I ask him, "Do you think YOU would like to live in that house?" and he says softly "Yeah." and then he goes "CEILING FAN!" like that was the only thing worth noticing. Lucky for him there are at least two in the house .. .  maybe more. :) I think Grandpa K created a monster turning on the fans and lights for him when we were there last summer . . . we will send him a 10% charge for our electric bill. ;)

This afternoon when I go in to get the boys up from their nap, this is what I see . . . I think Aidan misses dad . . . A lot.

ABG

A & B

We are almost THREE AND A HALF!

To bring things up to speed on the blog I probably need to take a week of writing, but you, dear reader do NOT want to read that much, and I am under the weather, so I'll just focus on what I can remember. :)

Actually in the taxi on the way to the airport to leave, but one of the few pics on my camera. check out that SWEET new hat from Cocoon!

The end of January brought a short girls' weekend away with a good friend Heidi to Istanbul, Turkey (not Constantinople). It was delightfully freezing and snowy while we were there, and we really enjoyed poking about the different parts of the city and enjoying our freedom to do whatever the heck we wanted. or didn't want to do. We saw the Blue Mosque and the Haga Sophia, Topkapi Palace and Grand Bazaar and had a traditional Hammam at Les Hotel Ottomans on the Borphorous River. I was able to speak with Curt and the boys a few times in the 4 nights I was gone. Everyone was just fine of course (minus Curt's MAJOR hamstring pull). The first time I spoke with the boys on the phone they were like "Are you in the house?" They then told me to "Have fun in Istanbul!" and while they were happy to see me when I got home, life got back to normal in no time.

Heidi in the fabric store in the Grand Bazaar. We drank A LOT of Apple Tea there.

We began battling some illness that made its way all the way through the family (yep, me and curt) and ended up postponing the Valentine's Day getaway to a local hotel (The TORCH!) Curt had planned for us. In the end, we were just happy to both be well enough to enjoy it a week later. The funny thing is, the boys seemed even HAPPIER we were back from our 19 hours at the hotel, than from my 5 days away. I do think when one of us remains, they are better able to deal with the separation b/c their "normal" is still there.

The Torch - Doha

I have such a romantic husband! :) Check out the walls - we could choose up to 12 colors!

How I look after sleeping 9 hours in a row. Like a different person.

The cool pool that hangs off the side of the building. 

As you've seen on other posts, we've had some great singing from the boys lately. We have a Disney sing-along CD in the car and i swear one of my FAVORITE things on the way to school is when they yell for "You've Got a Friend In Me" and all three of them sing it at the top of their lungs. One of these days i'm going to have to get THAT on video, b/c it is so adorable and hysterical at the same time. Cruella DeVille is also a new favorite - it is really funny to hear a three year old sing "At first you think Cruella is the devil . . ." :) They also got a classical CD of Peter and the Wolf, Barbar the Elephant and the Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. It is AMAZING. they don't have a book or anything to go along with it, but they request it ALL THE TIME. They know each of the instruments and which animal the represent, and the other night while I was cooking dinner they asked for me to play that and they were acting out parts. So cool - Thanks Grandma and Grandpa V!

We went to the Singing Sand Dunes with the Carr/Lechner family a couple of weeks ago for some sliding and fun. It was great! It must have been the JUST right humidity and temperature (i.e. not too hot or dry) b/c we had those dunes SINGING like crazy as we slid down. It was awesome! We even saw a cool lizard who would come out in various parts of the dune to see what we were doing and then if he got nervous, he would literally just DIVE into the sand and was gone. Check out his picture below. We all had a blast, even though everyone was COVERED in sand and had to get a nice dunking in the tub when we got home. I'm guessing this will be our last time there, unless we decide to go some evening again before it's REALLY hot . . . it's such a cool place in Qatar, I'd love for the boys to be able to remember it.

Singing Sand Dunes - L to R(G, A, Johanna, B, Alexandra and her uncle and family friend) - Time to CLIMB!

Our cool lizard friend

Aidan and Johanna really are like two peas in a pod . . .

The awesome part was how cool the sand was just an inch or two down!

Everybody wave! (BAG)

They have also been taking on responsibilities at home. Each of them sets the table with their stuff for at least one meal of the day (our plates and glasses are heavier - but I'm thinking they are getting close to doing all of it). Sometimes they fight over who gets to do it, other times all three of them will help out, and only at the beginning did we have to convince them that unless they helped set the table, no one would eat. After the first delayed lunch, they were on board. :) I would say Gavin and Brady seem to revel in the "helper" stuff the most, but Aidan is our cleaner upper for toys, so I guess each has their own gifts :)

We've also been developing other traditions with the boys. While Curt and I each sing them our own song before bed (Me- you are my sunshine - i died when the boys were about a year and a half and both brady and gavin first tried to sing it back to us before bed! Curt's is Goodnight Sweetheart - they love doing the "o-do-beday-do" back to him). Recently the boys have been going into our bedroom and then RUNNING all the way through the room, across the hall and then jumping into my arms for hugs and kisses. Then they hop on Curt's back for a horsey ride (or camel ride - depends) to their bed. I really think it's their favorite part of the day. I am sure it will change one day, but all three boys will ask for hugs and kisses and snuggles before bed, or sometimes in the morning. It is just another reason I am so happy to be able to stay home and not feel super rushed in the mornings. Having 5 minutes snuggling in one of their little beds with all three of them is such a wonderful way to bring on the day and seems to help those who are harder to wake up be a little less emotional (Brady and Aidan anyone?).

Curt is gone this week for his PhD visit day and to look for a house - no pressure! :) It was very clear that Brady was the most affected the morning Curt left. He was immediately sad and withdrawn and GRUMPY. The boys talked with him the day after he left and Brady seemed OK, but today (Day 4 of him being gone) Brady really didn't seem like he could stand dad being on Skype and not here with us. I mean he was REALLY sad and said stuff like "I want you HERE!" when he would acknowledge him or talk to him at all. He mostly rubbed his eyes and had his sad face on. Broke my heart and we did some snuggling on the way downstairs.

We have used this experience to talk about our move to Iowa City and why Daddy is there, and Brady has been the most verbal about what this will all mean for him/us. We have talked about how his stuffed animals will definitely go with him, even if other things don't. He has already talked about how we won't see Anna and Juliette (kids their age) or Johanna and Heidi (school friend and her mom) and how we will have to talk with them on the computer. We have emphasized we will be closer to all grandparents and cousins and the Carroll's and that has made everyone happy. It did make me realize that they are actually starting to have friends they think about and so I'm a little sad they won't probably know anyone for their 4th birthday. To compensate for my guilt (and to enjoy the company of our family friends) we are going to get a bounce house (yes, with slide) in a couple of weeks for our backyard and have people over and hang out. It will be the equivalent of their half birthday - but we aren't treating it like a birthday, just a chance to enjoy the weather and grilling before it gets too hot.

Gavin pushes Anna on the swing. Not because she needs it, but because he wanted to help her. Awww . . .

This morning the boys slept until 7 AM - AWESOME! When I went in to get them, Gavin sat up first (as always) and after a brief snuggle with me, went over to Aidan who was laying on his stomach half asleep. Gavin lifts up the back of Aidan's PJ shirt and proceeds to gently rub his hand up and down Aidan's back. It was so sweet. He then said "Aidan, it's time to get up honey!" and then climbed up on the changing table to get himself ready for the day. While I have sometimes been sad to not have different ages and see my older kids make my younger ones laugh (like I have seen with friends' kids), I sure am blessed that we get this kind of loving, affectionate behavior between them.

Tonight at dinner (where Aidan ate FOUR BOWLS of the chicken and wild rice soup - YEAH BABY!) Brady says to me toward the end of dinner "Mom, I'm trying to talk to you!" (Gavin was distracting me) when I turn to him, he says "Do you think you should get an apple?" with such a pondering, questioning look on his face - in the same tone Curt and I ask the question when we are trying to decide if the boys need more food and if so, what. It was adorable. All three of the boys are really good at expressing their gratefulness and thanks for things, whether with me or their dad or their brothers. I know Curt has definitely worked with them on it, but they have definitely taken up the charge themselves.

LEAP YEAR POST!

I have so much to write, I just don't know where to begin, so I will start with these pics and will update over the weekend - PROMISE. Let's just say everyone is healthy and happy and amazing me with all of the new things they are doing! The countdown to our move back to the US has begun!

Gavin likes watching basketball like I like watching basketball - not at all

Aidan Paints

Brady Paints

Gavin is done painting. :)

Preschool Olympics - Gavin is leading the class, Laila Helin behind and then Aidan - B was home sick with me that day)

That is Gavin doing the obstacle course - LOOK at that JUMP!

Aidan and Gavin wait patiently for their turns

Laila, Aidan and Gavin wear medals from Preschool Olympics

G&A goofing around on the counter

A and Dad snuggle

The new (hand-me-down) car from Fred and Irina - A drove it all the way home!

Aidan was so serious about being the one man band!

A and Johanna play in the one man band, band.

A&B riding Cecil the Camel

G & Dad after mom and dad's date night out at The Torch! :)

Aidan just did that himself - i don't know where he gets these  ideas!

Brady and dad

more snuggles - they were happy to see us and we were happy to see them. :)

Sweet Gavin and mom . . .

Johanna and Aidan WERE talking on the phones and scheduling a "meeting" for "work". Why so serious Aidan? (Check out G in the back!)

Our biker gang! ABG - finally got 2 more y-bikes to go with the one they got for christmas from us. They were kind of jazzed. :)

Look out 2012!

Family picnic at ASPIRE park - too bad it was COLD AND WINDY! (A & dad)

2012 started with a bang. Or more like a thud. After Brady and Aidan had been pretty successful with the potty for 2 months (already in undies for naps and nighttime by the end of December -WOOHOO!) we thought it might be time for Gavin to take the plunge, as it were. As of the winter break, he was the only kid in his class not potty trained. We had been asking him if he was ready to pee in the potty (hadn't done it since Halloween), wanted to wear big kid underwear, have a potty party, etc. and he was saying he was by this time. We knew it might be a long shot because he still wasn't telling us when he had dirty diaper, but he seemed so positive about wanting to wear underwear and pee in the potty, we thought he might be ready. His brothers were pretty supportive about him having his own potty party, which was pretty cute. So dad took Aidan and Brady the Saturday after New Year's so that Gavin and I could have his party. Let's just say, it had no legs.

While he was the most into teaching the doll to pee and poop and reading to it and watching videos and singing with it (compared with A&B), it doesn't seem he was ready to make the jump for himself. He started wearing big kid underwear around 1030 AM and by 130PM had peed 3 times in the toilet,  had 7 accidents (i.e. had gone through ALL of the underwear!) and had sat on the toilet for at least 45 minutes of those 3 hours. After his nap and having a couple of accidents after that, we decided to go back to diapers before we scarred the kid. Since then, he has said he does NOT intend to wear underwear or pee in the potty. So back to square one. Curt and I aren't concerned (though his teacher seems to be) - we know when he is ready, he is ready and there is nothing we can do to force the issue. Until then, we just ask him if he wants to use it and encourage him like we always have. Luckily, A&B don't seem to think much of it and aren't giving him a hard time about it.

Gavin's "clinically dislocated elbow"

Sadly, our attempt at a family picnic ended in a trip to ER for dislocated elbow - OUCH! We had picked up some shistawouk (yummy grilled chicken wraps) from a local place and drove to ASPIRE park for a little change up to our routine one weekend. We got out of the car to a ridiculous wind storm, that Curt and I were determined to beat. The boys were pretty darn cold (see Aidan top pic) but were game to at least try it. After we ate, we tried to warm them up by running around and chasing them and just getting some energy out. At one point I see Curt is swinging Aidan around. I decide to do that with Gavin and grab ahold of his hands. The first two times around we are both laughing and having a blast, but on the third swing (as he got to going faster and his weight became that much greater of force) I hear a POP from his left arm. His eyes bug out at the sound/feeling and he then begins to cry. I immediately shut it down and lay him on the ground. Seeing as how he is usually pretty indestructible, I know his crying means something pretty bad has happened. So we load everyone up in the car and drive to the ER. The ER doc tries to put it back twice, but to no avail. Poor Gavin will NOT lift his arm at all and whimpers at the slightest movement of his arm. We end up getting an orthopedist appt for the next day (though in retrospect, we wish we had just tried to barge in for a walk in that night) and he gets a sling, some pain meds and lots of attention. When I take him in the next day and explain what I did to him (oh my i still feel TERRIBLE!) the dr. has me put him on the table and within about 3 seconds says "there it goes". Gavin cried at the initial movement of his arm, and then sort of at the memory of it. The dr. has us wait a few minutes and then asks him to move his arm. Gavin uses his good arm first (still afraid of what his other arm felt like I'm sure) and then waves at the dr. with his left arm. It was so cute to hear him say "my arm works!". With some words of advice ("uh, don't swing them by their arms") we were out of there and back in time for nap time with his brothers!

ABG after a haircut from mom - Gavin looks like SUCH a big kid!

After a fun day at the park (BAG) - I loved how G's arm was around A

GBA - we love our new helmets from Aunt Erica and Uncle Chad!

Aidan says "Safety First! You can NEVER be too careful!"

Brady got into the stickers

A&G wanted to see what they looked like

Mom and Gavin goofing around at Johanna's b-day party - he's a little sweaty . . .

 . . .From the BOUNCE HOUSE!

Some friends of ours have 2 girls and one is in the same class as the boys at Creative Child. Johanna just turned 3 in early January so they had us over for a kids party in the morning and a smaller family BBQ in the afternoon. In case you ever have a chance to rent a bounce house for ANYTHING, and they ask you if you want the one with the slide or without the slide, ALWAYS go with the slide. Always. Gavin would wait a tth etop for the other kids to get out of the way, then take a step, a hop and then JUMP off the top of the slide. . . 

Gavin catches some MONSTER AIR!

So after a total of about 5 hours of bounce housing, our boys were BEAT. When we got them home after dinner that night, I was getting toothbrushes and Curt was changing Gavin. Suddenly I hear him laugh out loud and he says "Belle! Get the camera!" I run downstairs and back up and find this:

Gavin shows what happens when you are wicked awesome on the bounce house slide.

From all of that catching air on the bounce house slide, Gavin had TORN HIS DIAPER down the butt. It took me a couple of times to take the picture because I was shaking from laughing so hard. Awesome. 

The boys asked to sleep together the night after the bounce house - Curt got this pic after they had conked. (ABG)

A few funny things that come together in a delightful way. Ever since Gavin was young, he has LOVED to have his tummy lightly tickled. It has progressed so that sometimes when he is in bed, we will come in and he has pulled his shirt up and is gently tickling his tummy and chest. Or he will ask us to while we are watching a video - "Both Hands!". :) Anyway, Aidan has developed a habit of taking his shirt off at the table so that it hangs around his neck under his bib (yes, they still willingly wear bibs - we aren't going to tell them otherwise). Brady of course always seems to be the one to verbalize how he is putting the pieces together. One day during lunch Aidan has taken his shirt off under his bib. Gavin sees this and immediately pulls his shirt up and begins gently tickling his own tummy and chest (and nipples). Brady see THIS and begins to do what Gavin is doing, stopping on his nipple and says "What's this?" I say "That's your nipple". He finds his other one and says "What's this?" I say "That's your other nipple". Then Brady says (and I could see it coming but was NOT prepared) "What's it for?" All is quiet for a minute as I try to think how I might explain it to him Curt says "It's decoration." Curt and I then begin laughing hysterically, as do the boys, but they seem happy with the explanation. It was awesome . . .