Expectations

9 November 2017, 11:18 pm by Giggles
Categories: Family, Health

We knew we were completely spoiled by how well Iddo slept. At 6 weeks old she, of her own accord, fell into a pattern of going to bed, having me come in 6 hours later to dream feed her, coming in again 4 hours after that for another dream feed, and then getting up for the day after another 2 hours. She was sleeping for 12 straight hours (she didn’t wake up when I fed her) at 6 weeks old. If she did wake up at night it was because she was teething or sick and when that was past she’d simply go back to her previous pattern. When she was 13 months old and I had to stop nursing her so we could try to get pregnant again she had absolutely no issues with me not going in during the night any more. I was probably one of the most rested new moms ever. It was bliss. And we knew we’d never be that lucky again.

Knowing we’d never be that lucky again meant our expectations weren’t too high when Shimri and Shimei came around and were crappy sleepers till they were almost 18 months old. Their first Christmas they were both up every two hours, but alternating hours, all night long on Christmas Eve. Thankfully that was the only night they ever did that. But they never had a pattern at night. I never knew when I’d need to get up with them. No matter when I went to bed, 10pm or 1am, they’d wake up for the first time at night 30 minutes later just as I was starting to drift into deep sleep, and need to eat. Other than that Christmas Eve they weren’t both bad sleepers at the same time, but instead they took turns so we always had one decent sleeper and one crappy sleeper.

Knowing we’d never be as lucky to have another Iddo meant our expectations weren’t too high for Izri either. He’s up every 3-4 hours all night long and lately around 3 or 5 in the morning, after eating and drifting off in my arms, decides to tell animated happy stories after I put him back in his bed unless I’m holding him. And while the stories are happy, it’s definitely not the right time to be sharing them. But at least I’m sleeping (generally) better than when we had two babies, he’s got a basic pattern even if it isn’t a set schedule. However I do still daydream of the day when I can sleep all night and can wake up in the morning when I want to not when someone else wants to.

I definitely don’t try to have low expectations for our kids or my life. But realistic expectations make all the difference.

3 Shared thoughts

What box?

8 November 2017, 3:21 pm by Giggles
Categories: Family, Life

Halloween has passed and it was an other very successful year for our family (photographic proof). I’ve already started planning next year. Part of the planning process involves making sure the kids are on board and excited about it. Last year Brett took that very seriously and played PacMan with Iddo on a semi-regular basis so she’d go along with our plan. It worked.

I already have an idea for next year and when I proposed it to Iddo she was initially excited. It’s an idea that would allow the kids to have input about what they want to be while still maintaining a family theme and it’s a theme they’re generally excited about anyway. I figured I’d nailed it!

And then Iddo thought for a minute and suggested we be the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta for Halloween next year.

Um…

First off, yeah for that making an impression on her when we went last year. We’re already planning on going again next fall.

Second off, I’m pretty sure I could actually make that happen.

Third off, way to think outside the box on that one kid!

The thing is though, she doesn’t realize there is a box to think outside of. Which is really awesome. We’d like to hide that box from her for as long as possible and see what else she can come up with.

2 Shared thoughts

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

7 November 2017, 10:42 pm by Giggles
Categories: Education, Family, With the Kiddos

We’ve been going to the Children’s Museum Tucson pretty much every week for almost two years now. We’re regulars. We’re greeted enthusiastically when we show up. The employees have watched our kids grow up and are as excited about their growth as we are. Shimri and Shimei were 8 months old when we started. They’re 2.5 now. I watched them practice their developing walking skills with the shopping carts in the store area. It’ll be fun to watch Izri grow up there too.

We’ve made lots of different crafts, colored, glued, painted, read lots of stories, made lots of discoveries, seen trucks and alligators. We get seasonal decorations that the kids have made. They get to pretend and meet new kids. We have our own names for all of the rooms. We have our favorites. I know where I’m most likely to find each of my kids if they go missing.

And I don’t worry about them a whole lot there because, like I said, we’re regulars. Everyone knows our names and watches out for my kids.

Well, everyone knows their names. I’m not sure how many of them actually know my name though.

But I’m cool being known simply as their mom.

And yes, now that we have two girls and two boys we have a lot of fun dressing our girl “twins” and our boy “twins” when we go. Izri was wearing a shirt that matched Shimei’s today. (It also makes it easier for everyone to keep track of them).

3 Shared thoughts

S’mores to the next level

6 November 2017, 10:52 pm by Giggles
Categories: Food

At our family reunion this past August my sister’s family introduced us to “exotic” s’mores. We went beyond the graham, chocolate and ‘mallow. And it was delicious. Rolos, grasshopper cookies, lemon curd, etc. The kids decided they really liked them too, which was surprising since they all hadn’t been to excited about roasting marshmallows at home. Roasting the marshmallows with Uncle Giles helped with that excitement.

Tonight we had a fire for our Family Home Evening in honor of Guy Fawkes Day yesterday and did my current favorite variation of s’mores. Instead of graham crackers we used homemade sugar cookies. And if we’d had an extra pair of adult hands I would’ve brought out our lemon curd as well. It is a tangy, sweet, mushy goodness and I may never go back to the regular way again.

3 Shared thoughts

He is our Father

5 November 2017, 10:41 pm by Giggles
Categories: Family, Gospel, Happy Things, Musings

Earlier this year Iddo was playing “Primary” with Shimri and Shimei and teaching them Sharing time. She asked them “Why do you think it is special to Jesus that we are his children?”

Our kids frequently switch the subject and object of sentences, making for some funny quotes, but this one was a good one to ponder. We often only ask why it’s special to us that we’re children of God. But what does it mean to God that we are his children?

Later that night I saw a quote from the First Presidency when President Heber J. Grant was president that said “Motherhood is near to divinity” (“Message of the First Presidency,” Deseret News Weekly Church Edition, October 1942, p. 5.). And I wondered how many times God got spit-up on that day and how many times he had to change a poopy diaper that day because that’s my motherhood right now. Of course God didn’t actually get spit-up on and didn’t actually change poopy diapers, but “inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40). And of course sometimes we figuratively do those things.

Which made me think of the painting of “Jesus and the Angry Babies” by Brian Kershisnik. We are God’s children. So that means He takes us when we’re having a tantrum and holds us on His lap and sings to us our special song until we’ve calmed down. That means He gets up with us in the middle of the night when we throw up and helps us change our sheets and get on new pjs. That means He stays up at night worried about how we’re going to make friends and what He can do to help protect us from the bad that is out there.

Looking at the “child of God” relationship from His point of view made it more special for me. We are more special to Heavenly Father than we can even imagine, because we are His children. I’m thankful my children are helping me to see that.

4 Shared thoughts

The last item on the list

4 November 2017, 10:26 pm by Giggles
Categories: Life

When we found out Izri was coming I made a to-do list of things that needed to, or at least should, get finished before he was finished. He was born in June. I managed to cross the last thing off the list before he was 3 months old, so that’s pretty good for me. And the last thing wasn’t even his quilt.

The last item on the list was making the tops of our cabinets smooth and flat so that it was easier to store the larger kitchen items. We also were under the impression that it was unfinished wood up there and wanted something with a finish to it so we could clean it easier.

This was our before.

I got some flooring from some people who were replacing their floors and cut it to fit. When I got up on the counters to start clearing out on top of the cabinets I discovered that it actually is finished up there, but nobody has bothered to clean it since the house was built. A lot of elbow grease (to get rid of the grease) later it looked real nice up there.

But it still wasn’t flat and that’s really what made storing things hard. So I put up the boards and this is our after.

It’s so much easier to get our appliances up and down now. Thanks Izri for giving us the motivation to finally get it done.

2 Shared thoughts

Green Noise

3 November 2017, 10:02 pm by Giggles
Categories: Life

I don’t like white noise. The whirring, static, mind-numbing noise that some people love and fall asleep to really grates on my brain. For a while Izri really liked sleeping with white noise. I found a white noise app I could play for him. And it was a testament to how much I love him that I let him listen to it at night since he sleeps right next to my side of the bed. It was a blessed night when we realized he didn’t need it anymore and I could sleep in peace and quiet again (well, as much peace as you can sleep in when you’re getting up a couple times a night to nurse a baby, but definitely quiet).

We have a dehydrator that we love making dried apples with, but the sound of the fan going for 7 hours straight drives me absolutely bonkers. So I set it up in the kitchen and then take it in the garage to do its thing. This summer I was doing apples for us to take on our road trips and Shimei followed me out to the garage where I turned it on and wanted to know why it was in the garage. I told him Momma doesn’t like white noise. He considered this for a moment and then surmised, “White noise, no. Green noise.”

Green noise wasn’t a term I was familiar with but I think he’s struck on something. I definitely don’t like white noise. But the noises I do like could definitely be considered green noise. I like the sound of song birds in our trees. I like the sound of thunder rolling past. I like silence. We’ve recently come into possession of a very large wind chime (not a little tinkly one) and I love the deeper sounds it makes as the breeze passes through. I like organic sounds.

So white noises, static noises, whirring noises, no. Green noises, organic noises, natural noises, yes.

3 Shared thoughts