Somebody in Wisconsin Loves Me

My sister, Beth, moved to Milwaukee in October.  We were all sad to see her family go.  Due to pesky things like single digit temperatures and blizzards, I opted to not visit during winter.  I learned that Wisconsin doesn't have spring.  It's winter and snowing, and then suddenly it's 80 degrees and sunny.  The lack of spring meant I needed to wait until school was out for the summer.  Linus, Eileen, and I flew to Wisconsin the day after break began.

On a four day trip with only two full days,  we weren't able to see all that Wisconsin had to offer.  I expected Wisconsin to be like Nebraska--farms and fields for miles along two lane highways.  I did not even see one cow!  I thought Wisconsin was supposed to be "America's Dairyland."  I feel sorely mislead.

It was at least 90 degrees with insane humidity when we arrived.  Despite this, Beth and I dragged the kids to the downtown Riverwalk in search of the "Bronze Fonz."   Mission accomplished.

The kids were grateful for the breeze along the water.  The beauty of the river was offset by the numerous booze cruises and party boats.

I love Eileen in this picture.

Gwen was too cool for me.

We wandered around and visited the Public Market in hopes of finding a kid-friendly dinner.  We struck out in the dinner department, but did find kid friendly frozen custard.  Eileen's favorite part of downtown was a building that had giant ladybugs crawling down the side.

We originally planned to visit the Jelly Belly factory on this trip, but further research revealed that the factory was in the process of moving production to the Bay Area.  We decided to forgo the Jelly Belly Factory and spend the morning at the Milwaukee County Zoo instead.

I'm a harsh critic of zoos.  I don't like going to zoos and feeling forced to question the ethics of their captivity.  The big cat exhibit made Ivan the Gorilla's enclosure at the B & I look good.  I get that it is cold during the winter, but seriously I felt bad for the animals.

The zoo did have one good thing, a giant ropes course and zipline.  I opted to spend the money and go for it.  It's the type of activity I would have longed to do as a child, but never bothered to even ask due to being cost prohibitive.  Beth stayed on the younger kids course, while I climbed up with Linus and Dylan.  I also did the zipline with Linus.  It seemed irresponsible to send him across the park without an adult.  The boys did great.  Dylan made it up to the second level and Linus went all the way to the top and even attempted the most difficult features.  Gwen, nervous at first, enjoyed herself.

The rest of our trip included swimming, mamas' night out, multiple trips to Target, trying fried cheese curds (meh), and cleaning/organizing the house.  It was a whirlwind of fun. I even had time to read two books thanks to the airplane ride.  It was hard to say goodbye.

While we were away, Robin got in some quality time with Dave.  They hiked, went to Home Depot, did other guy stuff, and went to the zoo and rode the carousel.  Robin chose his own outfit: decked head to toe in blue, eating from a blue plate, and drinking from a blue cup.

I also got a text message from Dave telling me that Robin had stuck a macaroni noodle up his nose and he couldn't get it out. Beth and I had a good chuckle and advised using the nose frida.  In Dave's words, "Swedish hygiene for the win!"

My mom watched Robin while Dave worked.  I came home to fresh baked cookies so I know they had a good time.

I did not expect to miss Robin and Dave so much.  Linus cried uncontrollably several times because he missed them.  Robin was so excited to see me and practically attached himself to me until bed.

I'm so glad my sister and her family are doing well in Wisconsin.  After not seeing each other for 6 months, we easily fell into the co-parenting rhythm we've established during our many weekends together.  These cousins love each other. I can't wait to see them again later this summer.  In the meantime, somebody in Wisconsin loves me.

The 2 year sleep regression

Life was going great.  I generally got enough sleep.  Bedtime was rarely a stressful occasion.  A quick, easy bedtime is something all parents can cherish.   We've been pretty lucky in that our oldest two were afraid to get out of their beds.  Yes it was annoying when they would call from their beds at 5 am that they were ready to get up, but we were able to fix that.  Fear kept them nestled safely in bed.  Not fear of punishment, but some sort of boogie man conjured up in their imaginations that only grabbed children if they left their beds.  This boogie man was pretty rad in my book.

Robin, sometimes known as Brave Brave Sir Robin, does not fear the bed boogie man.  Rather he delights in setting forth from his bed.  Robin will come downstairs, even an hour past bedtime, and then ask just one "little hug" or a "little kiss".  Sometimes from there he will try to weedle out some snuggling as well.  It's gotten to the point where we are returning him to bed 3,4, 5 times a night.

A new twist is that he sometimes tells us he needs to sleep in the pack n' play (which resides in our closet).  The pack n play is a little small for him at this point.  Letting him sleep in the pack n play was fine until he decided to add climbing out of the pack n play, feeling his way through the pitch black closet, to again visit us.

As many parents know, sleep begets sleep.  Instead of falling asleep at 7 pm, he's been falling asleep closer to 9 pm.  This means he is up at 5 am.  The lack of sleep means he is ready for a nap at 9:30 am and in the meantime, has taken to attacking his poor siblings.  I hear their shrieks and cries for help as Robin unleashes his reign of terror upon them--biting, slapping, pulling hair.

The lack of sleep is allowing Robin to fully engage his terrible twos.  It's turning me into super grumpy mommy.  The other morning Robin came into my room before 5 am.  I'm not sure why, but he was willing to go back to sleep.  I can't sleep if anyone is touching me.  Robin is a very active sleeper and practically did somersaults only to be blocked by my body.  Robin couldn't be bothered to care and alternated between holding me like a teddy bear with his arms around my neck and sleeping with his legs thrown over me.  He might have gotten a little more sleep.  Mama did not.

I don't know if you have ever slept with a wet diaper up against your face, but it is not fun.  The good news is Robin went to bed for the babysitter last night and chose to wake up daddy this morning to change his diaper.

I don't mind a nice morning snuggle around 6:30 am.  It's the predawn that I take issue with.  I had it so easy.  I would lay Robin in bed, sing 3 songs, say good night and leave.  He'd wake around the same time as his siblings.  It was too good to last.  Rallying the energy to re-sleep train is more difficult than I remembered.

From the Mouths of Babes in May

Eileen:  Squeeeeeel!  That's what I'm talking about! These bubbles are enormous!

Eileen:  Where's Dave?
Me: Um. You don't call him Dave.  You call him daddy.
Eileen:  Well they both start with "d".
Robin:  I call dada "Boba Fett."

Me:  Eileen you're not wearing underwear.
Eileen:  I forgot.
Me:  Go put on underwear.
(Eileen leaves and then comes back down the stairs)
Eileen:  Okay.  I'm ready.
Me:  Did you put on underwear?
Eileen: Yup.
Me:  So if I check, am I going to find underwear?
Eileen:  Ummm.  I think I have to go potty..... (slinks back upstairs)

Robin:  It's so yumbly in my tumbly.


Where did these big kids come from?

                                                  Taken on our outing to Miner's Corner County Park

This American Life

Linus has a regular kid bedtime of sometime between 7:30 and 8 pm based upon the day's behavior. However he often has trouble falling asleep.  Usually he will read for an hour to an hour and a half (I think he is setting a first grade reading record at school).  This past week Linus has mixed things up a little.  Instead of just reading, he's been creating detailed pictures for our viewing.

I think this first one was part of a plan to earn an extra star on the behavior chart.  I like how he even included Robin's bunny lovey and the annoying singing dinosaur toy.

4th of July Parade.  There are kids on a float throwing candy, a marching band being pooped on by the birds above, and a band on stage.

 Pirate ship.  Man blindfolded and walking the plank.  Many hungry sharks swim below.

This last one is by far my favorite.  There is a hungry crocodile in the corner, a guy on a boat with a gun and a cross bow who is smoking a cigarette, an opposum handing upside down, windchimes, and a tv antenna, a rocking chair on the porch.  The guy's wife is inside doing dishes. The house is on stilts above water.  Apparently, it's set in a bayou in Florida.

We asked Linus where he is coming up with this stuff.  It's not like he has internet in his room.  He is drawing these under a nightlight, using a Where's Waldo as a hard surface.  Linus says he decides on a theme each night and it all just comes to him.

Dave was joking Linus was like Ira Glass on This American Life.

 "We have stories today told in four themes.  What happens when a boy can't sleep and is given a piece of paper and a pencil?  I'm Ira Glass and you're listening to This American Life."

The Karate Kid

Linus started karate about a year and a half ago.  It's been really good for him.  Karate helps Linus to focus, breathe, and calm himself.  His teachers run a tight ship.  Linus does well with systems that provide for advancement and that allow him to have some control over his life.  The karate belt process was made for kids like him.

This weekend Linus participated in his first competition.  Linus is currently a yellow belt.  He has worked hard and gets to class early just so he can get extra training from his teacher.  To my surprise Linus will be testing for his advanced yellow in a week, about 4-6 months earlier than I thought he would test.

The competition was open to all students who knew at least one kata.  Linus chose to do Taikyoku #3. He quietly rehearsed his moves in his head while waiting his turn.

Linus did very well.  He knew his kata and performed it with precision and confidence.

Linus was one of only two yellow belts in attendance so he automatically advanced to the finals.  The other yellow belt was at least 3, if not 5 years older than Linus.  The older yellow belt struggled during his preliminary round and was allowed to choose a kata to compete against Linus.  Of course he chose a kata that Linus knew, but had not been practicing regularly.  Linus did okay.  He struggled, but never gave up, corrected his mistakes and kept going.  I was so proud of him.

It was a split decision of 2-3.  I told Linus that while the older boy may have done better in the finals, Linus did better overall. That may have contributed to the judges' decisions.  Interestingly, during the green belt competition there was another split decision.  The two judges who voted for Linus were the same two who voted for the girl who I thought should have won.

Linus handled himself well.  I could tell he was upset, but he held back his tears and took his place with the other students against the wall.  After all the kata competitions, Linus and I stayed to watch a little bit of the sparring.  You have to be a green belt to spar.  Linus cannot wait.

Before we left, one of the judges came over and congratulated Linus on the way he conducted himself as well as his katas.  If anything, that older boy better be worried because he almost got bested by a very determined 7 year old.

I pointed out to Linus that at this rate, he is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the karate world in just a few years.  Hi-yah!

I Heart Mother's Day

Mother's Day is probably my favorite day of the year.  Christmas is fun (but stressful).  My birthday still requires me to work/go to school/carry on with the usual.  Mother's Day is MY day.  I love my babies, but I relish the opportunity to be able to do as much or as little as I want.

Today involved sort of sleeping in (I still was awoken by Eileen at 6:20 in the morning, but I was not responsible for getting up).  I just stayed in bed, watched a movie, and read a magazine.  Dave brought me coffee.  The kids picked out flowers for me the day before.

Once I rose, I was not responsible for helping any child get ready.  We went to opening day at the Lake Forest Park farmer's market and then out to brunch where I drank a very strong mimosa.  Then it was back home for a nap.  Eileen played quietly by herself for close to two hours while Robin and I slept and Dave and Linus went to Linus' football game.

This morning with the kids. They don't understand the concept of looking at a camera.

Nap was followed by a pedicure date.  Eileen and I picked up vanilla steamers for ourselves and a chocolate milk for Robin. We were pleasantly surprised to be joined by Grandma, Aunt Sally, and Uncle Tim.  It was Tim's first mani-pedi.  Eileen and Robin were perfect little angels.  Eileen didn't even ask to play with my phone.  Robin sat contentedly on my lap, excited to get dark blue nails of his own.  The nail ladies loved him.

I followed up more nails by relaxing in my room before dinner.  I couldn't help myself, and eventually did a load of laundry as Dave bathed the kids.

Thank you Dave for our babies.  And thank you so much for loving me enough to just let me be a woman of leisure for the day.  It was marvelous.

Sky is Blue, Whatcha Gonna Do?

Oh my goodness, I don't really know what to make of all these gorgeous spring days.  The heat and dry weather brings out my anxieties about global warming and climate change, yet at the same time a shiny sun, fresh air, and birds chirping makes my heart leap with joy.  This weekend has been no exception.

Yesterday we played outside, water plants, rode bikes, and watched Eileen's soccer game.  Dave and the big kids went to a bonfire at a friends house.  Another dad planned it as a way to give moms a night off.  I stayed home with a sleeping Robin, watched a really bad movie, and got a ton of work done and out of the way.

This morning I woke up and knew God would understand if we took a family hike instead of going to church.  We ventured out to Woodinville to the Paradise Valley Conservation Area.  It's great, easy hiking with miles and miles of trails.

Robin hiked for the first part of the trip as well as the last quarter mile.  He played red light, green light with himself.

Of course I did plant identification with the kids.  They are getting pretty good.  Linus wanted to find the "butterfly" plant, aka salmonberry.  When he folded down the top leaf to make a butterfly, he asked Dave if he did it right.  Dave correctly informed him that I was the one to ask, as I am the one who taught daddy.

  Robin preferred thimbleberry, what I like to call "Nature's toilet paper."

 Robin eventually relented and climbed into the Ergo when he got to tired to continue.

We hiked a little over three miles.  Eileen walked the whole way!  Even more amazing was the lack of whining.  Normally, Eileen's legs get too tired after about a quarter mile.  Linus took the trail at a brisk pace.  I had to work to keep up with him. 

 I love this guy.

 

Back on the trail, Robin was kind enough to read the trail interpretation signs for us.  Robin has been watching me teach Eileen to read and likes to mimic the process.

We all had such a great time hiking.  Given how today went, I feel encouraged about the possibility of other hikes.  I'll hopefully go back to Paradise Conservation Area.  There is a lot left for us to explore and it is really only 20 minutes away (with no traffic).

In the afternoon, I watched Linus' football practice and game.  This really meant I sat on the sidelines and read my book.  His team got pummeled, but Linus handled it well.  We finished off the evening with Dave grilling.  I made milkshakes for dessert.

Some days you can't help but think, "Life is good."