37 Weeks

We have made it to 37 weeks!  Only a few more to go!  This week is becoming the cut off point for any extra, non-essential activity.  We will maintain our daily/weekly routine, and I have a to-do list to complete before delivery.  Other than that, my swollen legs, knees and feet have demanded a significant reduction in activity, and I am reluctantly ceding to them.  As for "baby brover," he is an estimated 6 1/3 pounds and is slightly longer than 19 inches.  He is getting bigger and bigger on a daily basis.  Oddly, he is a daytime grow-er, and therefore, there is a visible change in size each afternoon.  With the girls, they initially grew once per week -- at night and on Thursdays.  They continued to be nighttime grow-ers so I simply woke up larger than the day before. 

A final note on this go-around... there has been a new development on the cravings front.  I am totally fixated on coconut shaved ice and have gotten the entire family on board with this one.  Our local Sno Shack is owned/operated by the nicest gentleman.  My only quibble with his establishment?  He has very limited hours, and therefore, my shave ice needs are only marginally met.  The Shack is closed entirely on Sundays and Mondays, and is only open a few hours during the week.  He clearly has no comprehension of the business he is forfeiting during these final weeks of pregnancy.

Ballerinas

Today is the day we finally went to have ballet pictures taken.  I have been meaning to schedule time for this since mid-April and have been actively attempting to get this done since the recital at the beginning of May.  Unfortunately, we have had to work around school schedules, end of year activities and the occasional black eyes.  This item has been on my list of things to do before "baby brover" arrives, and I can now check it off!

To try to beat the heat, I scheduled a 9:30 appointment, and it worked out great, as we were the only people there at that time.  Having the place to ourselves minimized distractions and allowed them time to play with the photographer.

They did such a fantastic job of being on best behavior and being patient during the shoot. As a treat, they got to select our lunch destination, and I did not flinch (although I repressed an involuntary spasm) when they chose Burger King.

Even though the happy meal toy was a hideous transformer action figure, I put on a happy smile.

One like this:

And this:

And this:

Although I had contemplated taking the photos myself, I am glad to have left it to the pros. I don't think the girls would have "hammed" it up for me as much as they did for the photographer, and I certainly do not have the energy these days to perform for them to elicit laughter.  Even with outsourcing this task and having help (thanks, Grammie!), I needed a nap afterward.  They can be a tough audience when a camera is pointed at them.

Summer homework

As our summer schedule (posted last week) indicates, we probably aren't going to be on board with allowing the girls to completely slack over summer vacation.  Truth be told, I lean heavily in favor of year-round school, but recognize that option will not be happening in my district any time soon due to budget cuts and a looming county bankruptcy. 

Since implementing our summer program a few weeks ago, I have seen a couple of online articles about maintaining summer learning activities.  The first, here, is from Erin Kane, co-host of the Manic Mommies podcast.  I especially like her resources.  She has rising 4th and 1st graders so I am saving her links for future reference, as the girls get older.   

Next, as a counter-point, I ran across this article from GreatSchools.com, addressing the summer homework requirements of some high school students.   This article also makes a good point and echos several pieces I have read lately about the issue of excessive homework (read: "busywork").  We have many years before we get to this extreme so I will deal with this when necessary.  I suspect my opinion will be that moderation is key to keeping "buy in" from the student and incentivize the work itself.  For example, I can foresee having a summer book club with my children when they are older, but I doubt that I would expect them to have read 30 substantial literary works over their summer break.  In short, I would hope to strike a quality over quantity balance (read: definitely not "busywork," to which I am strongly opposed). 

Like most issues, we find ourselves squarely in the middle on this topic.  We do not want to have a situation where our children have completely checked out for the summer, but we do not want to go overboard either.  The bottom line is that summer should be a time for fun and that includes the learning opportunities that are provided, which is why we are sneaking our workbooks in between arts and crafts activities.

Summer Activities -- Friday

Friday begins with a race against the clock.  We have breakfast at 7:00am and then school from 7:30am - 9:30am.  After school, we have a last minute bathroom break and then head to a gymnastics class that begins at 10:00am.  We missed the first gymnastics class due to Vacation Bible School.  They attended their first class last week, and the class received mixed reviews.  Lauren declared it was "too hard" and that she did not want to return.  Gracie loved it.  Lauren described all of the rotations and activities and said, "I couldn't do it!"  Gracie said, "I could do it allll!!!!" 

Nonetheless, we returned this week.  Lauren was less stunned by the newness of the sport and enjoyed herself, while Gracie appeared to be a natural. 

After 15 minutes of stretching, they were assigned to groups and began three rotations consisting of floor exercise; balance beam/beginning vault; and bars/rope/trampoline.

I think today's class was much more enjoyable.

After gymnastics, the girls spent the afternoon with Gran and Poppa.

This will essentially be our routine for the rest of summer, with only a brief interruption in mid-July when "baby brover" arrives.

Friday's quote

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

-Confucius

Summer Activities -- Thursday

A typical Thursday unfolds much the way of our Tuesdays...  early awakening, breakfast, school for two hours from 8-10:00am.  Thursday seems to be one of our more productive days, and we usually add anything extra that needs to be covered on Thursday morning.  We also usually conclude with a more involved art project, such as painting, since we tend to not have much lined up after school. 

After "free play," lunch and rest time, we try to incorporate some physical activity, and that can be an enormous challenge, what with the infernal heat we have had over the last few weeks.  To combat that heat, allow me to introduce our pool system for 2011. 

Last year we tried to upgrade to one of the inflatable back yard pools (with the filters and pump), and it was a disaster (for us; if you have one, I hope it works). We went with the lowest technical option available this year. A problem last year was that the girls spent the majority of their time scaling the side of the pool getting in and out. To combat that problem, I picked up two very small wading pools. The goal here with the dimunitive pools was to also allow for ease of clean up, since I knew I would be nine months pregnant during prime pool season.  My swimmers were not initially impressed, but they have come to appreciate the autonomy of climbing in and out at their leisure. We also added the "Waterpillar," the sprinkler positioned in between the two pools.   The Waterpillar definitely takes the experience to a new level.

What is not shown is my comfortable chair inside my makeshift cabana (inside one of the garage bays), complete with oscillating fan.

That is a typical Thursday.

36 Weeks

The 36-week-mark has been looming heavily, as we delivered the girls at 36 weeks.  We are obviously aiming to get at least three more weeks under our belts before adding "baby brover" to the mix.  This week ushers in weekly physician appointments and weekly nonstress testing.  We underwent the NST's with the girls, due to a multiples pregnancy, and I had assumed that we would bypass the NST fun this go around.  Today, as the 20-something nurse explained, I would need to have weekly NST's from now until delivery..... due to........... advanced maternal age.

Let's think about more pleasant things, shall we?

So, at 36 weeks, Baby Lindsey #3 weighs almost six pounds and is about 18 1/2 inches long.  (For our reference, the girls, delivered at 36 weeks, weighed 4 pounds, 15 ounces  (2226 grams) each (a rarity that they weighed the same, to the gram) and were 17 1/2 inches long.)  He is approximately the size of a crenshaw melon, and he will continue to add an ounce a day.

Summer Activities -- Wednesday

In keeping with the theme of documenting our summer routine, we'll talk about our usual Wednesdays, although they are largely a repeat of Monday.   Wednesday is a regular day at school, from 8:00 - 12:00pm, but without the added fun of being "water day".  They have arts and crafts on Wednesday, songs and playground fun. 

Wednesday has also become the day I go to the obstetrician.  After I drop the girls at school, I head to the office.  Depending on the testing and correlating wait times, I may have some time to run a couple of errands prior to picking the girls up at noon.  After pick up and our return home this afternoon, the girls had a quick nap, and then we climbed up to the table for school from 3:30 - 5:30pm. 

For some reason, Wednesday feels like a marathon, but we get a lot accomplished.  Maybe I should consider a power nap while waiting at the doctor's office? 

Summer Activities -- Tuesday

Today marks the official start of summer (although, unofficially, it started here weeks ago).  Tuesdays this summer are spent at home.  The girls awake around 7:00, and we have breakfast at 7:30.  Currently, their favorite breakfast is "panpakes -- no syrup," and some fruit. 


After clean-up, they climb back in their seats for more home school fun, and we work from 8:00 - 10:00am.  Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings tend to be very important in terms of making some progress so we try to make sure that time is well spent.  They just seem more eager to learn in the mornings, whereas Monday and Wednesday afternoons are more of a challenge.  We start off gently by reading a Bible story, a couple of poems and then sing a song or two.  After that, we complete pages out of five workbooks.  Then we have some dry erase notebooks that we use for writing.  When they aren't sniffing their dry erase markers, they enjoy the writing exercises.  Or maybe the marker fumes enhance the writing experience. 

Next we either review some rote skills (shapes, etc.) or work on sight words.  Then, as a wind down, I use the "What Your Preschooler Should Know" book to incorporate a history, science, literature or art lesson, depending on the day.  Today, for example, we learned about Betsy Ross and the creation of the American flag.  (If I had been thinking on my toes, I would have scheduled that discussion last week for Flag Day!  Alas, I am not a teacher; I am merely a nerdy mom.)  Usually an hour and forty minutes have elapsed at this point, and they are in need of some hands on, minimally supervised fun, usually consisting of painting, coloring, or rolling up their sleeves for some Play Doh action.

Free play lasts from 10am until noon, and they are usually occupied with their kitchen or doll house.  Having completed all of the above by 10am feels like such an accomplishment, and lately (due to my waning energy level) I find myself taking a break from 10:15 - 11am.  Today we had a visit from Grammie who arrived at 10:30 and stayed until the afternoon so that I could run some errands (CVS and Wal-Mart).  The girls had lunch at noon, watched an episode of Barney (oy!) at 12:30 and then had a nap from 1:30 - 3:00pm.  Due to rainy weather, we spent the afternoon playing in the basement with grocery carts, strollers, scooters, skates, etc.  Then, it was time for dinner and the nightly routine. 

And that is a typical Tuesday.

Summer Activities -- Monday

Due to the impending arrival of Lindsey Baby #3, we opted to enlist some external help for our summer activities versus the homemade version of "Camp Mom" I put together last year to pass the time. Our preschool wrapped at the end of May, but we have opted to continue there two half days per week as a sort of summer camp. 

On Mondays, the girls put on their swimsuits, cover ups and water shoes, slather on sunscreen and arrive at school ready for splash pad activities. In our house, Monday is now known as WATER DAY!  Except for the application of sunscreen first thing in the morning (why do the aerosol versions have to be so cold?), they LOVE it. Following the water fun, they change into dry clothes at school, and do crafts and activities. Then, in what I like to think of as "Social Experiment 2011," they stay for lunch in the lunchroom at 11:30. While the girls are both "good eaters," they do have some particular food requests, and we think it is educational for them to be in the fray where there is a variety of food and where sandwiches may, indeed, retain their crusts. I know that they are trying out the menu because, when I pick them up (at noon), their clothing usually offers many clues about what was served that day.

Upon arrival home, we unpack the wet, water day clothes (i.e., suit, towel, cover up and shoes) and then have nap/quiet time for an hour or two. Personally, I think negotiating the lunchroom is what is wiping them out most days. After quiet time, they have snack and free play. Following that (from approximately 3:00 - 5:00pm), we have home school activities.

Before the conclusion of preschool this year, we put together an agenda of summer activities, based largely on a variety of workbooks we have been using over the past year, along with some newer material, and we put together a daily/weekly lesson plan for the summer so that we are sure to devote a couple of hours each day to working on pre-reading and writing skills. This is far less technical than it sounds; the girls think they are coloring and painting and making Play-Doh creations, with workbook activities sandwiched in the middle. While they are still easily distracted by dazzling, jumbo sized boxes of crayons, I am going to take advantage of the opportunity.

After school, they resume free play, and that concludes our Monday.

Friday's quote

Hope arouses, as nothing else can arouse, a passion for the possible.

-William Sloane Coffin

Photinus carolinus

This NYT article discusses the firefly phenomenon in Elkmont, Tennessee.  There were similar articles in a couple of print magazines this month as well.  While I would love to see nature's light show, the crowds would be offputting. 

Week 35

The weeks are starting to click by now!

Lindsey Baby #3 weighs approximately 5 1/4 pounds this week and is comparable in size to a honeydew.  Unusual things I have noticed include a surge in appetite.  For example, I had three different breakfasts by 10:30am today.  (To break it down:  Pop tart at 5:00am; Chick-Fil-A chicken biscuit at 8:30am; a bowl of cereal at 10:00am.)  I cannot describe the degree of hunger that struck, but by 9:45 I was literally shaky from hunger.  Granted, I have not been able to eat anything since this morning (really, though, who could?), and I seem to recall a surge in appetite before the ability to eat disappeared altogether when I was pregnant with the girls. 

Just a few more weeks to go!

Weekend update

This past weekend was very busy and consisted of a much needed "work day" at our home.  We were able to make huge strides in terms of nursery completion, including crib assembly (thanks, Poppa!) moving and repurposing furniture, updating bedding, etc.  We still need to add artwork and finishing details, but those things will come together as we find things we like.

By Sunday, we were in need of some rest.  We had a nice Thai lunch, ran some errands and then crashed/invaded Uncle James and Auntie Melinda's pool.  The pool looked so refreshing, and the girls had a blast!

Road trip tips

Ahhh summer...  'tis the time for vacations, road trips and all things Americana.  Due to the fact that I am 8+ months pregnant, we do not have any trips scheduled this summer, but I ran across these tips from Birmingham Mommy that I thought would be helpful for those of you who do have upcoming trips. 

Here are a couple of pics of our crew in transit.  These are from early March:

You may have already mastered the concept of traveling with a portable potty.  We embraced that idea at the very outset of potty training, and we still utilize those potties for road trips.  When traveling, we are not at the mercy of questionable restrooms at pit stops or rest areas (although, for the record, I find the latter to be cleaner).  We also tend to be big on games/goodies for the trip, as there is nothing like something new, however small or insignificant.  The cookie sheet/desk idea is really creative, and we may use that in a couple of years.  For now, that thing would be converted into a backseat weapon in under two minutes. 

The very simple tip in the second to last paragraph -- using cupcake liners as a serving dish -- blew my mind.  It's so simple it's genius!  We will definitely be implementing that practice immediately as a disposable means to serve treats out of car seat cupholders. 

Happy trails!

VBS

We have spent this week attending Vacation Bible School at Auntie Melinda and Lexy's church.  Their church kicks it old school by having VBS during the day, from 9:00am to 12:00pm, Monday through Friday.  I was a little concerned when the girls arrived home Monday afternoon and were so excitable that they were practically climbing the walls and swinging from the ceiling -- so NOT what I had in mind when I first contemplated the week's schedule.  By Wednesday morning, their little eyes could barely open and focus, and Lauren asked, "How many more days of Bible school?"  Well... that was more like it!  They actually napped Wednesday afternoon!  Ditto Thursday!

V to the B to the S!!!!!!

Thursday morning, during breakfast, Lauren asked, "What are we doing tomorrow?"  (These are recurrent questions.  They like to know what they are doing -- and wearing -- days in advance.)  I confirmed that Friday was the last day of Bible school.  Then she asked, "What are we doing next week?"  I told her, and she hung her head and made the saddest face.  We have lots of fun things lined up this summer, but there is nothing like Vacation Bible School.

Here they are singing some songs they learned this week. 

Today is the last day, and it will be bittersweet. 

Friday's quote

Reflect on your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.

-Charles Dickens

Farm space

Yes to this space.  Read the full article here.   

Recipe of the week: Buttermilk Baked Chicken

Buttermilk Baked Chicken

Ingredients:

1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon hot-pepper sauce
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon thyme
4 pounds chicken, rinsed and patted dry

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Generously rub a baking sheet with oil. 

2)  In a large bowl, stir together buttermilk, hot-pepper sauce, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  In a separate bowl, mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan, thyme and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. 

3)  Place the chicken in the buttermilk mixture, turning to coat evenly.  Working with one piece at a time, remove chicken from liquid; dredge in the breadcrumb mixture, coat both sides evenly.  Place coated chicken pieces on prepared baking sheet. 

4)  Bake until chicken is golden brown, approximately 35 minutes. 

Birthday fun

This past Saturday afternoon, the girls joined a classmate at the splash pad to celebrate her birthday. While the birthday girl sure seemed to have a fantastic time, all of the guests had a GREAT TIME partying as well!

Week 34

This week marks the 34th week, and there is really nothing new to report. With a multiples pregnancy, weekly visits would have begun about two weeks ago. By this time with the girls, I was going to the doctor 1-2 times per week, having non-stress tests and weekly sonograms. We like the lack of drama that accompanies a singleton pregnancy, and we are hopeful that the drama-free pregnancy is a harbinger of a no-drama baby. We have one more two-week appointment, and then the weekly appointments will commence.  Although I am not eager to become a weekly fixture at my doctor's office, we delivered the girls at 36 weeks, and therefore, I am going to use the waiting room downtime to peruse the Internet, read books or magazines and/or otherwise reflect quietly on my ability to (mostly) sleep through the night.   
Other 34 week tidbits: 

He now weighs approximately 4 3/4th pounds and is approximately 18 inches long.  He is the size of an average cantaloupe.  He is still working hard on his central nervous system, and his lungs are continuing to mature.  He will need especially strong lungs to be heard over the constant chatter of Gracie and Lauren, but he is probably aware of that already, on some level, as they both stand at my stomach and yell "I LOVE YOU, BABY BROVER!" a few times throughout the day.  Unlike Baby Brother, those girls are all about the drama. 

"Wolfpack only"

Yesterday we went to see Hangover Part II. 

Last year, we went to see SATC II. 

These are the negotiations and compromises marriage requires*. 

*There were a number of good, respectable, critically acclaimed movies, about which we both could agree, viewed in between those two releases.

Friday's quote

In the arena of human life the honours and rewards fall to those who show their good qualities.

-Aristotle

Quadruplets

Remember Charlie (right) and Cheeto (left)?  Long story short, these two con artists work the entire neighborhood for  food and treats.  They look convincing, don't they?  They have perfected the please-help-me-I-haven't-eaten-in-days look, yes? 

We eventually discovered that Blankey, nee Charlie Brown, is owned by a neighbor, and his sidekick is a friend that we have called Cheeto, as we do not know her name.  Cheeto is really feral or, as the girls and I like to say, "Cheeto is skittish."  Charlie/Blankey is very affectionate, but I have never gotten within two feet of Cheeto.  They have previously been bullied by a couple of larger neighborhood cats, and I have tried to bolster their confidence by pointing out that there are two of them, that they could work together to assert themselves versus being driving away from their home by interlopers and forced to beg at other residences.  The bottom line is that Cheeto is not someone you can depend on to have your back in a fox hole... or a bar fight... or any other metaphor that you prefer.  She will bolt at the first hint of duress. 

These two have formed an alliance, nonetheless.  Of course, I was skeptical when they told us they were just friends.  In fact, I was in the process of devising a scheme to coordinate spay/neuter services when I learned that they actually belonged to someone else. 

Because it is probably bad form to spay/neuter someone else's pets, I let the matter drop. Not surprisingly, we noticed that Cheeto was packing on a lot of extra pounds over the past few months. Then, she was suddenly not heavy again, but there was no sign of any kittens. About a week ago, we saw Cheeto on the porch in her usual begging position, but this time she had a miniature version of herself with her. I heard Skip say, "Well, I guess we now know what happened to the kittens." He was not excited at all, but I bolted immediately out the front door to see them. Cheeto has trained her brood well. They sprinted away immediately, and I did not see them again for several days.  By my count, there were at least three, possibly four.  Those kitties are just as skittish as Cheeto. They are straight up skitties!

Over the weekend, I got another glimpse of them playing in our neighbor's yard. Forgive the photo quality, but I couldn't get any closer to them without Cheeto's defcon level being raised from her usual 3 to a 1.

There are four kittens in total, two resembling Cheeto and two resembling Charlie.

I want them all.

End-of-year party 2011

Oh, hi there! We have been very quiet here because we have been incredibly busy with year-end activities last week and this week. Wrapping up the K3 year (at two schools, no less) has been crazy busy.

Since we have reached year-end, I can now confidently report that we made it through K3 without receiving any notes home from teachers. WOOHOOOO! Last year we received two notes home concerning minor behavioral concerns, but this year we have a squeaky clean record. It was a really good year.

We enjoyed the end-of-year party, and below are a few photos from that day. When I arrived, the class had had a visit from the ice cream truck. They were playing with bubbles and chalk outside and were having a great time. A few minutes later, we moved to the play ground.

Skip had traveled all week prior to this party. When he called home, Lauren asked him to come to her party when he arrived home. Luckily, he was able to take a quick lunch break and stop by for a minute. If you look carefully at the below pic, you'll see a group of boys from class surrounding him, where they are each awaiting their turn to be tossed into the air.

Gracie chilling out:

Lauren climbing high:

Enjoying her bird's eye view:

Their teacher made the most adorable scrapbook, chronicling the year by providing photos from activities, events and parties. I think they are great, of course, but the children especially loved them.

"Here I am!"

Next, it was time for a picnic lunch outside.

A fellow classmate and friend celebrated her birthday, and her celebratory cupcakes were a big hit with everyone.

Bye-bye K3... look out K4!!!