Talent Show

Friday evening was the talent show!  Finally!  Caroline and Bryce have been attending talent show practices weekly (and then bi-weekly) after school since we got back from Disney World.  They have loved every part of it and were very excited for Friday evening.  They got to spend a lot of time with other kids and teachers and it really was a bonding event for all of them.  When I would go in to pick them up in the evenings, they would be having such a good time with all the kids - singing and dancing, most often.

Bryce played 'Mary Had a Little Lamb.'  He had completely figured it out on his own and decided that this was his talent.  Far be it from me to tell him he'd never had a lesson.  (Caroline did something similar last year.)  He came out on stage, tried hard not to smile, played his piece, gave a stiff bow, and exited.   He was so cute!

Caroline was a little more bold this year and recited Shel Silverstein's poem, 'Sick.'  I helped her to pick it out when she decided to read a poem and thought it was appropriate in content and length (a lot of his poems are super short!).  She practiced it on her own but wouldn't practice for us.  The assistant principal told us to have her try to memorize it as much as possible so she wouldn't need the card so much.  I downloaded the reading of it by Shel Silverstein himself and she listened to that on her MP3 player over and over and clearly it had an impact on her because she read it with such expression.  We were very proud of her.  Not the greatest photo of her reading though since I didn't want to stand up and take the photo and block other people so you get the perspective of me on the floor shooting up at her.

The video of both performances turned out well too but I'm not going to post them on here since it has the name of the kids' school on them.

After the performance, all the kids got trophies and they were thrilled!  They had come out at the end with the rest of cast to 'Moves Like Jagger' and were totally into the spirit of the night.  Bryce has already said he didn't want to do it again next year because of how long he had to wait backstage!  Turkey.  I have a feeling he will reconsider because he won't want to be left out.

Piper really enjoyed the performances and did some dancing out in the aisles to the kids that were singing and dancing.  I see a talent show in her future in about 2 years!  Hopefully the school will continue to put it on now that the AP is going to another school - she was apparently the motivation behind it but a bunch of other teachers have always helped.  It's a really great event and you can tell how much the kids that are in the show enjoy it.

Cute Bedfellows

Throughout the years of Caroline and Bryce's siblinghood, they've had their ups and downs.  I've always said that they are best friends and worst enemies depending on what time of day it is.  Most times though, at bedtime they are best friends.  On the nights that Bryce doesn't pass out within 5 minutes of saying good night, we can often find them together in Caroline's room.  She'll read to him, they'll talk, they'll listen to music, they'll play around.  And on some occassions they'll fall asleep together.  There have been lots of times where they will ask to sleep together and then it never works out because they get all silly and play around.  But lately, they've started sneaking around and because they are sneaking they are quiet and actually go to sleep.  Sometimes we find them, other times we don't.  Usually when we find them, we carry Bryce back to his bed.  It's happening more frequently now and last night we just decided to leave him there.  He did fall out of bed last night, but got back in and went back to sleep.  Other such nights, they've slept the whole night through without problems. 

It's probably one of the cutest things, well, ever.  And because I know that this won't last forever, I leave them alone.  They're 7 and 5 now and I know that it won't be long before the thought of sharing a bed, let alone a twin bed, is gross.  I know I hated sharing a bed with my brother on trips as I got into later elementary school.  Who knows how long this will last, but for right now, it's good.  And while they might fight by day, the fact that they find so much comfort in one another that they can share a bed together, it just warms my heart.  I hope that as they get older they'll remain close.  And who knows how long before Piper tries to get into the mix.  Although typically a 3rd child will upset the 2 child balance so maybe it will be Caroline and Piper or Bryce and Piper snuggling together one day.  But I do think the fact that C and B are only 21 months apart has a lot to do with it.  They don't know life without one another, really. 

How much I love them....

Gnomeo & Juliet

On Saturday afternoon, I took the big kids to see Gnomeo & Juliet.  It's so rarely that they ask to see a movie that when they got all excited about this one, I knew we'd just have to go!  I initially wanted to take all 3 of them but upon finding out that the 2D version wasn't playing anywhere near us, I realized Piper would have to sit this one out as the 3D glasses are too big for her and just cause problems.  (My MIL found this out at Toy Story 3 this summer.)  I was also miffed because a 3D showing is a few bucks more a person vs. a matinee 2D showing. And to be honest, this movie does NOT need to be seen in 3D, but I digress...

Anyway, so we waited for Piper to get to naptime and then left.  We went to a smaller theater closer to the house and even for the 1pm show, it was pretty much empty.  The show started on time with only TWO trailers and no commercials - I couldn't believe it.  Both kids had no problems keeping their glasses on and totally loved the movie.  I liked the music, the way they threw in Shakespeare references from the real play, and the characters.  Definitely a cute movie but I would recommend either seeing in in 2D or waiting for the DVD as there is no reason you need to see it in 3D.

The kids went home in good moods and very excited about the outing.  I loved going to the movies as a kid and I'm pretty sure they feel the same way.

Summer Sillies

Caroline:

"Mommy, there is a big old stink bug up in my room.  You know, it's there next to the 3 drawer thing next to my desk.  It's laying on its back and it bought the farm.  Can you go get it?" (She used the term so nonchalantly - I love it!)

Bryce (in response to why he still calls us to help him in the bathroom):

"Because mommy, I can't see my butt.  I bet an owl could wipe his butt because he can see his.  Owls can turn their head all the way around." (He said this with the most serious face, like he'd really been pondering it.)

Caroline &  Bryce:
All 3 kids were at my mom's yesterday and when my mom returned downstairs after putting Piper up for her nap she walked into the kitchen to find every single cabinet and drawer opened and a trail of plastic grapes all around the kitchen.  (The kids love to play with them for some odd reason.)  The acted like they didn't know who did it.  Of course my mom, who thought it was pretty clever, stifled her laughter not wanting to encourage them to do it again but she did let them know it was funny and would not be as funny the 2nd time.  I know I would have had a hard time not laughing at such a novel practical joke - totally imaginative and not destructive.  (We had a good conversation about destructive vs. non-destructive practical jokes.)

Bed Partners

When Jason and I go to bed most nights, one of us will look in on the sleeping older two kids (Piper sleeps with her door closed and we are NOT chancing waking her up by opening it!). But on Monday night, neither of us did. You can imagine Jason's surprise on Tuesday morning when he went in to get Bryce up and there was no Bryce in his bed. Thinking maybe he'd already gone downstairs he walked out of his room and peaked in on Caroline - there was Bryce has he had been all night. Somehow they had been quiet enough to not alarm any suspicion from us downstairs while we were still up and fell asleep quickly. Honestly I was very surprised because when they've attempted this before they've either ended up fighting or carrying on so much that we knew something was going on. But not on Monday night, on Monday Caroline invited Bryce in and they settled down quickly. Apparently there was some "opera" singing according to Caroline but that must not have been very long or loud because we never heard it.

Of course now they want a repeat. Honestly, if they did exactly what they did on Monday where they settled right down and slept the whole night, I wouldn't mind, but the chances of that happening again are very low. Last night I caught him in her room again and they had scattered all these magnets all over Caroline's bed and were laughing hysterically. They keep asking when they can do it again and I said definitely NOT on a school night but that excuse is about to run out! I'd like to tell them that if they can do exactly what they did the other night, I'd be okay with it, but then they'd want to try it every single night.

I told Caroline that I think Monday night was a fluke (and then had to define fluke) and that it would be something better saved for vacation (when they'll share a room) or weekends. I still have to figure out bedtime for the post-school nights. I'm still about getting them into bed by 8:30 but I'm thinking maybe of letting them have what they call "brother/sister" time until 9pm where they can read quietly in their beds together. We'll have to see how it works out since they won't be getting up as early.

Class Picture Fun

I knew that Caroline's class photo was going to be a very big deal to her.  I put it in the 8x10 frame that we'd had her preschool class photo in from last year and sat it on her dresser.  It hasn't been put back there since she saw it.  She looks at it constantly but last night I got the biggest laugh out of it so far.  Jason and I were downstairs about to embark on our second episode of True Blood (oooo, we're fans now!) and we heard them upstairs still awake and carrying on.  So I went up and as I was walking up the steps I could hear them giggling and Caroline naming every single kid in her class - first and last name.  After each name, Bryce would dissolve into giggles upon hearing their last name.  I know that when they take role each day, they read each child's first and last name and because Caroline has been blessed with my good memory, she has them all memorized - or at least she has the gist of their last name memorized.  I don't know all their last names but having seen them all from time to time in Caroline's star of the week booklet, I know she didn't get them all completely right and her interpretation of them made me laugh.  But the funniest part was as she was going kid by kid, row by row and she got to herself (read her name) and then she said her teacher's name as R_____, Linda.  BIG LAUGH, in fact I had to stifle mine.  It was like saying her teacher's full name was the funniest thing she ever heard.  And then, surprisingly she got to the teaching assistant and she said, M_____, Dorothy!  I didn't even know Ms. M's first name!  Again, more giggles.

I stood on the steps and let her finish and then came around the corner and found Bryce and her laying in her doorway with her class photo and a pencil that she was using as her pointer to teach Bryce each child's name.  They were startled to see me and Bryce started crying right away knowing he was in trouble for not being in his bed.  I took the photo for the night to help them avoid temptation and got them both settled back in.  It's just so funny how cute they can be together and to hear Caroline's perspective on her class.  It just doesn't need to be happening at 9pm!

Christmas vs. Candy Holidays

The other day Caroline, Bryce and I got into a discussion about what their favorite holidays were. And without much hesitation they both stated that Halloween and Easter were their favorite holidays. Honestly, I was kind of surprised. So as I probed them further to get to the bottom of this odd response, I found out that they like Halloween and Easter better than Christmas because you don't get much candy for Christmas. So, candy trumps toys????? What????

I actually asked them this, "So do you guys like candy better than toys? Should we only put candy on your Christmas lists this year?"

Bryce says, "Well, I still really like toys. I just like candy a LOT!!!"

Then Caroline backtracked a little and said, "I think I just like ALL the holidays a lot." She then went onto say that she loves how the Easter bunny puts their presents on the kitchen table kind of in a little display. Um, I guess they didn't notice the display Santa does under the tree every year.

So there goes my plan of just putting mounds of candy under the tree and nothing else. Guess they still want some toys. Bryce also told my mother a few days later that he likes how the Easter bunny hides his presents and eggs at Easter so she told him she'd hide all his gifts at her house.

I think it surprised me so much because as a child there was NOTHING to compare to Christmas and I never really remember being that over the moon about candy. My kids kind of fiend for it every night after dinner since Halloween. Sure, I remember gorging on chocolate around those candy holidays, but I don't think it was ever what made them such great holidays.

New Era

Since we returned from the beach 2 weeks ago, my mother in law has started her new role with us. Previously, Caroline and Bryce went to preschool/daycare 5 days a week and Piper went to Ms. Teresa's 3 days a week. My mom and MIL filled in on Mondays and Wednesdays. But back in May, my MIL (Sandy) decided she was ready to leave her job and really wanted to help us take care of the kids. We were hesitant at first because we know what a big (and hard) job it is and we wanted to make sure that was what she really wanted to do. She did and we figured out all the details. So my mom has all 3 kids on Mondays and my MIL has them Tuesday through Friday. However, for the summer, Caroline and Bryce are continuing at the place they had been from 7:30am to noon since it's a preschool program and getting them out of the house for some structure and other kids is good for them. Once Caroline starts kindergarten next month (!), Bryce will continue a 3 day a week/half day schedule.

So far it's working out great. My mom gets her love tank filled up with the kids on Mondays and then my MIL comes the rest of the week. She's been helping out with some household tasks too even though Jason and I insist that it's not necessary. But we also don't want her to get bored. The kids seem to really enjoy seeing grandparents every day too.

My only concern? Well, that would be my childrens' behavior. Prior to this, just one day a week with Nana/Big Dad was fine in that it was still a novelty and the "grandparent good behavior act" was holding true. But now that it's becoming more routine, the shine has come off the apple a little bit. Not that my MIL didn't know my kids had the potential to be real pickleheads from time to time, but I don't think she'd had to deal with it as much. Well, I think Friday was a bit of trial by fire for her. I felt terrible hearing that they'd been so trying all day long! (Apparently the playroom cleanup saga was par for the course that day!) Jason assured her that we would go over our normal discipline scenario with her since she wants to be consistent and do what we do with them. Maybe I'll have to prescribe a few episodes of SuperNanny for her because that is what always motivates me.

My biggest worry is that they're going to wear her out and make her not want to see them as often. Yes, they can be very nice kids but they are normal kids who have good and bad days. I'm hopeful that Caroline starting kindergarten will help too since I've been finding that the Caroline/Bryce behavior combo is really problematic. When they are both crabby they work together. And if they are both in silly moods, the same is true. It's no fun.

So I hope my MIL can survive her first month of taking care of the kids and not want to check herself into Shepherd Pratt. We appreciate having her here and know they are getting lots of love and care that they couldn't get from any non-grandparent. I'm glad my mom is continuing to do Mondays too since I know how much they love time with Bertie too.

So Caroline, Bryce and Piper, PLEASE don't screw this up. Mommy and Daddy can't go through another childcare search again!!

Cleaning Up Blues.....

UGH!!! I am so tired of the kids going ballistic when Jason and I tell them to clean up the playroom or their room. This past Friday night, I arrived home from Piper's checkup to two screaming kids. The reason? Jason had insisted they clean up the playroom. They screamed, they cried, they bargained, they whined, they tried to talk their way out of it.... I was hungry so Jason made dinner while I supervised them NOT cleaning up and then Piper, Jay and I ate. I told the two non-cleaners that they weren't getting any dinner until they finished cleaning. (Not that they really cared since they hate everything we have these days!) So while we were eating, they started playing some game with a ball and kept telling us they were cleaning up. They even turned on some music on the radio and our hopes were higher. Well, they did nothing. In fact they even broke a table in the process.

Once Jay and I were done eating and cleaning up, they started telling us they were hungry and wanted to eat and I insisted that they could have water until they cleaned up. Again, more attempts at bargaining and asking for help with constant whining and crying. Why they think we should help them is beyond me! Finally, I don't know what did it, but they started cleaning up and within FIVE MINUTES it was cleaned up. All of a sudden, tears dried up and they were ready to eat. We told them what a nice job they had done and tried to get them to realize how quickly it went when they actually did it instead of walking around in circles whining about having to do it. We kept threatening to put all of their toys that were on the floor in a bag and take them away but that was met with mixed emotions. When we did that once before, they were upset about it for about 5 minutes and then they realized that they got us to clean up for them. Plus, they didn't really even care since the odds and ends that were taken away didn't even matter to them. So total time from start to finish of the Friday night playroom saga: almost 2 hours! Total time to actually clean up the playroom: 5-10 minutes. Grrrr.

Then tonight, both kids had messy rooms and we told each of them they had to clean up. Caroline balked at first and then by the time I got Piper to bed, she was almost done and had done a really good job. Bryce, on the other hand, was headed down a one way street to tantrum-ville. It was bad. I got Caroline in the tub and while she got clean, I finished cleaning the rest of the bathroom while listening to Bryce go apesh*t in his room. Seriously, if you saw the "mess" in his room you would have laughed. It was NOTHING compared to Caroline's - total cleanup time might have been just over a minute. But he refused. Started saying he was going to barf (never did). It just went on and on. I tapped Jason out and took over and Bryce clearly was losing steam but was still refusing to pickup. Finally, I told him I'd "help" him and started by throwing one toy into the basket and then coaching him through picking up the first few items and then he did the rest on his own. Total tantrum lasted about an hour. Man. This has got to stop.

As they get older they will clearly have more chores/tasks to do than this so I'm already getting worried. They get upset having to pick up a few of Piper's toys from time to time but of course the argument that Jason and I do a lot of things for them never seems to matter. We'll just keep pressing on. Although I will say I wasn't in the mood for another playroom cleanup debacle tonight and I am currently looking at a playroom in disarray but that can be dealt with tomorrow.

Drama

Here's an episode of "As the Morning Turns" starting Caroline and Bryce (and of course, ME!)

Bryce and I are sitting at the breakfast table eating our cereal (or not eating if you're Bryce) while Caroline dances around entertaining Piper in her pack n' play since she already finished her cereal. I notice Bryce is fidgeting in his chair.

Me: Bryce, do you have to go potty?

Bryce grimacing: No. I'm just holding myself so the pee doesn't come out.

Me: Bryce, you need to go potty.

Bryce: I have to go potty.

I pull out his chair for him to get down from his booster.

Bryce: I don't have to go.

I don't make him go because it's getting late and he'll go when he's ready.

Again, Bryce starts fidgeting and making a weird grunty noise.

Me: Bryce, do you need to go to the bathroom?

Bryce: YES!

I pull out his chair and he runs down the hall to the bathroom.

2 seconds later......

Bryce: Waaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me: Bryce, what happened?

Bryce: I peed on the carpet!!!!

Caroline runs to look and check out the situation.

Caroline: Waaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!! He peed on the carpet!!! That is my favorite carpet. Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bryce: Waaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! I peed on the carpet.

So now both kids are crying (Bryce over the accident and Caroline because her "favorite carpet" has pee on it) and I'm trying to take Bryce's pants off of him and get the little rug up off the floor to put it in the washer.

Tears are dried, rug is in washer, Bryce is eating his mushy cereal naked from the waist down and Caroline is back to dancing for Piper.

Is it any wonder I look like Cruella Deville some mornings by the time I get to work?

Got Love?

I heard the kids go downstairs together this morning at 6:30am without waking Jay and I. They were so cute talking to one another and being so sweet. I heard Bryce say he was scared (it was still kind of dark) and Caroline reassured him. Then they went into the downstairs bathroom and peed together too. I laid there listening, wondering what they were up to, but happy about the nice interaction going on between them. Just after 7am, a little messenger was sent upstairs by his big sister with a Valentine for me! And a few minutes later, a 2nd one was brought up for Jason. Aren't they the cutest things? Completely written on her own and self-initiated! I was just soooooo proud!! I love the heart too!!


Then they went downstairs and proceeded to write a Valentine's song for my parents who are coming over tonight to babysit while Jason and I go out to dinner. I'd say they are definitely in the spirit. Last night I made them a special dessert and gave them their little Valentine's prezzies. I gave Bryce a gecko Webkinz and Caroline an "I Love You" necklace. She was a little jealous of Bryce's Webkinz, but she was VERY excited for a big girl gift and loved the little box it came in. (She told me I was the best mommy ever!) And because she's a little older, she can actually play online with Bryce's Webkinz (a girl named Harry - named and gendered it himself!).

So our bellies are now full of strawberry whole wheat pancakes and we're ready to start the day. I've got some blogging to catch up on.

Wacky Kids

Caroline loves dress up and occasionally she can get Bryce to play along. And usually when she does, the get ups she convinces him to put on are hilarious to say the least. So yesterday's announcement that they were coming downstairs and wanted to show us what they were wearing was no exception. Jay and I both got a really good laugh out of this one - mostly because of Bryce's ensemble.



I'm not 100% sure who came up with this outfit but the fact that Bryce had his clothes off makes me think Caroline had a lot to do with it. Personally the beret with the hula skirt just does it for me. (All that's missing is the coconut bra!) Oh and I like the severely matted Hannah Montana wig that has seen one too many "concerts" in it's short lifetime. But she still thinks she looks beautiful in it, so that's all that matters.

"I Want to Tell You Something"

These words, while they can be completely adorable when spoken by a 3 or 5 year old child, completely grate on my nerves these days. Mostly because the ONLY time they say it is when they are stalling and that is usually at nap and bedtime. UGH! It's the words they say as you're finishing tucking them in, walking away, going down the steps, etc.

"Mommy, I want to tell you something."

And when they say it in their sweet, cute little voice, how can a mother NOT listen? But every.single.time they have absolutely NOTHING to say. It's usually something they ad lib at the moment when they know they've got my attention. Often it's some kind of weird gibberish question that really doesn't have an answer or something they actually know the answer to. Or worst of all it's, "Mommy, I love you." (Gasp!) Truth is, they get me with it about 90% of the time because I think, "What if they really do have something to tell me this time. Ha! They are masters.

It's so hard to resist NOT answering them. But you have no idea how tired I am of this little line. Now, I will say, every now and then they actually do have something to say or a substantial question, but they are few and far between. I should write down their "somethings" every night and make a running list because I know one day I will look back and laugh at it. I think it's just that right now, by the time we get them through the bedtime routine and feel like we've really spent some quality time with them, we just need a little breather and the prolonging of the bedtime just makes you nutty since we know how much we have to do before we can go to bed.

But I still love their little voices....

Why You Can't Rely On a 3 or 4 Year Old for Accurate Information

I mentioned before that Wednesday was school picture day at Caroline and Bryce's daycare/preschool. I was all excited about it remembering school photo day and what a rite of passage it is for them. I was all psyched about how they will look, how their hair will be (messy?), how they will smile, etc. So we picked out their outfits together on Tuesday night and I made sure their faces were extra clean that morning and their hair started out straight.

So when we got home yesterday, Jason and I both asked them about photos.

According to both kids the first time we asked, the only photos taken were of each class. She said the photographer went to each room, sat them all together and then took the picture. We quizzed them if they had a picture taken of just them and they both said no. I wasn't expecting a class photo since the notice that came home just said "student photos" so a class photo in addition to an individual photo wouldn't be such a surprise, but a group photo without an individual seemed kind of odd.

Then, later at dinner, we asked again because I really believed that there were supposed to be individual photos taken too. Caroline stuck to her story of only class photos and Bryce answered "yes" to Jason's question about if he had his photo taken alone. He also told us several times that he'd said the word "ice cream" for the photographer. I guess that is what stuck with him.

So, this morning, I asked Shirley what photos had been taken yesterday and she said, that both class photos and individual photos had been taken and they also took a photo of any siblings together as well. Something NEITHER of my kids told me about! I called Jason when I got to work and had a good laugh about it. Clearly, we're still not at the point where we can rely on what our children tell us about the events of their day. It just makes me giggle thinking about how unaware kids are sometimes.

I can't wait to see these pictures. I guess they didn't give out those disposable little black plastic combs like they did when we were kids.

Bug Lovers

I have no idea where they got this from, but my kids LOVE bugs. Now, I'm not one of those squeamish folks who cower at the sight of a spider, but I also don't go seeking them out and pick them up. I don't like the idea of a bug in my bed or a BIG hairy spider, but I'm also not at all afraid to kill them either.

My children, well, I think they may have a future in entomology. They are totally fascinated with bugs - so much so that sometimes I worry about their safety. I can't tell you how many times I've caught them in the foyer playing with the random ants that will occassionally get in near the front door. They pick them up and let them crawl all over them. Caroline has even tried collecting them. Of course, ants do not bother me at all, unless they are in my kitchen and then they are pests. But I'm just surprised at the fun they have with them and how fascinated they are with these tiny lives.

However, it doesn't stop there. When they are outside, they are constantly in hot pursuit of some kind of bug. Ladybugs, spiders, daddy long legs, grasshoppers - anything! And we hear about every single one they see and are bombarded with questions about them. (What's that spider doing? Why is he not moving? Why? Why? Why?) We've used Wikipedia many times to learn a few new things about the bug of the day since Jason and I know much more than average about bugs/insects.

I was kind of freaked out a few weeks ago when Bryce was playing with a small spider the same way they play with ants - letting it crawl all over him. EW!!! And while I know most spiders are harmless, after having found that black widow in our back yard last summer, I'm much more concerned since there are bad spiders out there and my children have no way of knowing what's okay and what's not. So it's really a constant game of watching them since they seem to want to touch every bug they see.

They know a good bit about bees and other flying stinging insects, so I don't get too worried about them messing with them, but that doesn't mean they still don't pepper us with questions every time they see one. (Caroline even had a nightmare last night that a wasp was chasing Jason around!) But they also know about flies and Bryce entertained me for a good 10 minutes yesterday chasing a nasty old house fly around our bedroom.

While I totally think it's great that they have such a fascination with the little creatures and I'm glad they don't have some irrational fear (yet), I still worry what they might do when no one is looking. Although I have a very clear memory of collecting caterpillars with my siblings and neighbors as children and thinking they were the coolest things, so maybe this is just more normal than I realize.

Uncle & Aunt Insanity

This evening, after baths, my brother Kevin and my sister in law, Kelly, dropped by. Jason was helping them out with something, so it was a short visit of just a little over an hour. Well, I don't know what it is about them, but it makes my children turn into maniacs. Kevin and Kelly don't rile them up - instead my kids take their presence and use it to their advantage and run around like they are dosed up on liquid crack. And I know it wasn't just this evening, Kevin came by a few weeks ago around the same time and they were carrying on like it was Christmas Eve.

Although I will say this, my brother in law, Jeremy, came by for a bit on Friday and he is quite a mellow guy. But, the kids took his visit as a reason to be completely insane. They do the oddest things when certain people come by - I just don't get it.

This evening, they were rolling and hopping on the couch like Mexican jumping beans (something we are usually pretty strict about) and Caroline finally wore out my patience when she started throwing around chalk. She has never thrown around chalk any other time. But even a few minutes in time out, while it calmed her down for a few minutes, didn't sustain any behavior. It wasn't until Kevin and Kelly departed that you could even really get them to follow any directions.

Here's hoping that the hour or so of intense energy expulsion will yield a quiet rest of our evening. Although you'd think that after Bryce threw a 90 minute tantrum tonight that he would have already been worn out by the time they arrived, but little kids must have an extra supply of energy for such occassions.

So right now, I'd say that if you really want to see my kids excited, just come by when Kevin/Kelly or Uncle Jer is here. They are pretty happy when other aunts/uncles visit, but there is something about our youngest brothers that seems to charge them up.

Angry Bedfellows

You know, sibling rivalry is such a weird thing. It's not constant, but when it rears it's ugly head, it's bad. However, you just never know when it will be at bay and when it will be ferocious! Take our weekend, for example...

The kids had their usual Saturday morning where they were off/on fighting and playing and I called my mom to see about coming by for some swimming. She asked if they'd want to spend the night since they hadn't in a while and because we were already supposed to come over the next day for Father's Day. So we took them over, the kids swam, were happy, and ended up sleeping ALL NIGHT in a double bed together. My mom said that as they laid down to go to sleep, Caroline really wanted to go to sleep with Bryce cuddled up against her but my mom said she didn't know if Bryce could tolerate that all night. Apparently they went right to sleep and slept until after 6am, which for them, is actually decent.

Then after swimming in the morning and then going down for early naps, both kids swam their little hearts out all afternoon and evening in the company of both sides of their family. It was a great day and the pool clearly helped all of us be in great moods. The water did wonders for my 35 week pregnant body and both kids were very happy. As we left, Caroline was clearly suffering from swim exhaustion (a degree higher than regular exhaustion, I think and we were worried about a difficult bedtime. But Jason and I kept them seperate and they both did a really good job of keeping their tired selves from fighting.

Then we put them to bed shortly after 8pm (thank you light blocking blinds!) and while Bryce called out a few times for nothing important, it got quiet and we knew they went to sleep. But when I went up at 9:30 I looked in on Caroline first and saw she was under her fleece blanket (HOT!!!), so I went in to uncover her and guess who was there, right next to her asleep? Brother Bryce. I tell you, it was one of those heartwarming mommy moments and if I had been able to take a photo w/o waking them, I would have. Not only were they cuddled up together, but he was kind of laying in the crook of her arm with his head on her arm. Jason picked up Bryce and moved him back to his bed and neither of them woke up. They clearly had fallen right to sleep after Bryce joined her because we didn't hear a peep and Bryce still doesn't have a very good volume control so we would have heard something if there had been any playing around or commotion. I will always remember seeing them all cuddled up together like that and so I went to bed with a warm heart.

But then, at 6:15am this morning, Bryce had just gotten up into my bed and Caroline was crawling up to join him as Jason was ironing and I was getting myself together to head into the shower. Just as I passed, I saw Bryce reach over and PINCH Caroline becuase he said she was in HIS bed. Jason took him to timeout and Caroline whimpered because of her pinch. After I was in the shower, I heard stomping and some yelling and found out that Bryce had continued to harrass Caroline after his inital timeout and landed himself back there again.

Where are my sweet, loving siblings from last night? If you'd seen how precious they were, you'd have a hard time believing it too. But I guess it just ebs and flows like most things in life and I can only hope that these warm moments are the ones they will remember and is a sign that they will continue to like/love one another as they grow.

Operation "Sleep a Little Later"

We decided to give something my MIL had mentioned a try last night/this morning and oh my gosh, it WORKED! See, my kids are a bit on the early riser side and while this is okay during the week, on the weekends, it's painful for us. They are always up before 7am, but often earlier. So, last night, I suggested we try something that Jason's mom used to do with him and Kelly when they were aroud Caroline and Bryce's age. She would leave cups in the fridge for them and then would come downstairs and turn on the TV so she and my FIL could sleep a little later.

So last night we instructed the kids that we would leave a cup for each of them on the bottom shelf of the fridge with a sticky note saying whose was whose. (They are VERY into the assigning of things - so a BIG C and B for each cup.) Then, we told them that when they wake up, as long as the sun is up, that they could just go down, get their cup (which they are not to take out of the kitchen) and then turn on the TV. We went over the importance of making sure the fridge was closed and that all they had to do was turn on the big button on the TV because we would leave the channel turned to Playhouse Disney.

We held our collective breaths and hoped for the best. Bryce woke up at 2am calling for daddy in a very happy tone and Jason said he just wanted to know where everyone was - but back to sleep for him. Then again before 6am, he crawled into bed with us, but Jason told him it was too early and put him back in bed and he went back to sleep. Then, sometime before 7am, we kind of heard them quietly padding down the steps but without bugging us and Jay and I both pretty much slept on. About 7:30, our rude neighbor started his lawn mower and weedwacker, so that woke me up but I laid in bed listening for the kids. I was already so proud! They understood!

I went down first and there they were, laying each under their fleece blanket (that they'd gotten out themselves!) watching TV and their cups were still in the kitchen. They also each had the "C" and "B" note in their hands that Jason had put next to their cup in the fridge. To say I was overjoyed would be an understatement. We weren't looking to sleep until noon, just a little later and it was much appreciated.

My kids are getting so big. I'm just beside myself!

Guess Where Caroline Slept Last Night?

Any good guesses? Yep, in Bryce's bed....all night long. Well, until 5am.

She deliberately waited until Jason and I were asleep to go back into his bed. See, when I went up to bed, I found her in his bed again and Jason put her back and we told her she HAD to stay in her bed tonight. She threw a minor fit but I figured she understood - now I know it's because she already had it planned out to go back in. Bryce was pretty drowsy by this point and had actually been asleep.

So at 5am this morning, Jason found them sleeping in Bryce's bed together and left them alone. (Why wake sleeping beasts???) But a few minutes later, he heard the telltale sibling whispers and he went upstairs to find them awake. He put Caroline back in her bed and told her it was still early and to go back to sleep. She said okay and everything seemed okay (again, it was because she knew her plan). A few minutes later, Jason heard the whispering again and found her BACK in his bed. At this point, Jason was pretty angry at her blatant disobedience and told her that she had lost all her computer time for one week. She cried out which is what woke me up at 5:15am. Then a little creeper came into my room and got into bed with me. I told Bryce that he could stay in bed with me if he went back to sleep. He soon heard Caroline downstairs and went to join them.

Needless to say, I didn't go back to sleep. But any time a pregnant woman gets to just lay down is helpful, so I laid there relaxing until my alarm went off before 6am. It should be noted that once they were both up, they were in very good moods and getting along quite well. Lots of laughing, talking, running around.... They both got dressed without any problems and followed my instructions. And because we had extra time, they even ate breakfast with me.

But see, now we're in this weird dilemna. I don't want this to be a habit because I think it will be a hard one to break. But then I also wonder if it's just a novelty thing and soon one of them will tire of sharing their bed. Jason's idea is if someone goes into the other's bed, we put the gate on Bryce's door. Not exactly my favorite idea since he FREAKS when there's a gate on his door but we can't put on on Caroline's door since she needs to get up to use the bathroom sometimes. I also don't like how she blatantly didn't follow our directions and was so sneaky about it. And Jason is mad that I took pictures because he thinks I helped to egg them on. Great.

This is a hard one because it's not something we're very good at catching them in the act of doing because they are so quiet. If it was them coming into our bed, it would be different. And at the same time, they are being sweet and the question is what is the harm? But if it means later sleep times and earlier awakenings, that is the harm since we have to deal with overtired kids.

Why don't kids come with instructions manuals? I could really use one on this.

Musical Beds

I barely finished my last post (scroll down to get part one of this story) when I heard giggling upstairs. Giggling from TWO little people. This time, I went armed with my camera. I crept up the steps and figured out the giggling was coming from Bryce's room this time. Sure enough, here's what I found (flash in a dark room): It was pretty cute but still, it's almost 10pm!!!! So I told Caroline it was time to go back to her bed and Bryce said he wanted her to leave. Caroline started to throw a fit about not wanting to sleep in a room alone and I said maybe one weekend she and Bryce could have a slumber party together, but not tonight. Before I know it, they'll be grossed out at the thought of sharing a double bed so this is a pretty finite period of time. It was really sweet to see them all cuddled up under the comforter. But I'm already realizing 6am is going to come really early for them now. Let's hope this is the end of tonight's round of musical beds.