My alarm woke me up this morning and I shot out of bed in the middle of a dream. I hate when that happens because I feel groggy and out of sorts all day.
I’ve had so much caffeine today, but my eyes are still heavy.
They are into all the cabinets, tipping, grabbing and stealing everything neatly placed inside.
They are in the pantry, snacking on crackers after dinner.
They even try to get into the liquor cabinet.
They unfold all the organized laundry.
They topple over the stacked diapers.
They decimate every space they encounter!
I left the room for one moment today and darted back after I heard the sound of glasses been pulled out to the floor. I couldn't get them to stop either! I tried to hold one back but the other was even more determined to get through, and I had a moment of mild panic at being overtaken!
They are an intimidating group and they have the potential to do some real damage together.
Operation "take over and destroy my house" has officially begun and I feel the battle of wills waging.
I don't remember Evie' being so set on opening every cabinet and pulling everything out. I think it's a boy thing...or maybe a mob thing! Whatever it is, home life has reached a new level of chaotic.
Levi and James are constantly picking on each other too. James knows exactly what buttons to press to totally frustrate Levi. He will casually steal a beloved toy, causing Levi to totally lose it and attack James by pounding him over the head, scratching at his face or biting his arm. For Levi, pushing James out of the way via his face has become an automatic response it seems. Just this morning Levi was playing with a musical toy and James crawled over to play too. At every attempt, Levi just reached back and shoved his face to the ground. Poor James kept getting up and trying again, only to be beaten down again.
I don't intervene too often because I think they need to learn how to settle conflict at a young age. I think this is just the beginning of a lifelong love/hate relationship that will be physical at times, being that they are boys. I guess I think they need to learn how to tough it out. No wimpy boys in this home.
However, I've noticed that little Caleb just stays out of it. He keeps to himself. No one really bothers him either. James will occasionally steal a toy or two, but Caleb will just surrender and find something else to play with.
It seems like just yesterday there was a golden path beneath them when they lost their leaves in the fall!
Spring has sprung and the weather has been beautiful;
it doesn't really matter though because there is no good place to take three crawling babies, especially outside.
They are so curious as to what is beyond the walls and doors of our home. If we open the door a little bit, all three of them rush over to it like a herd of goats from an animal pen, and I have to yell for assistance to get them all back inside. Without someone else with me, I am pretty stuck. I can’t even take Evie outside because I can’t keep watch over three crawling curious little ones. Even WITH someone with me it is pretty challenging.
However, on Friday it was so beautiful outside that we got the crazy idea to venture out with everyone. Amanda and I hoisted the huge, behemoth of a stroller into our trunk and drove to the local park to meet my friend, Becky and her two kids.
Luckily, Becky is always the super prepared mom and had two things I didn’t bring: sand toys and good snacks. Snacks is usually an after thought and something I have to get better at preparing. I threw a package of saltine crackers into my bag at the last moment; but 30 min into playing, my kids were ravenous apparently and saltines weren't going to cut it. So I sent Amanda out with the mini van to McDonald's to get some cheese burgers.
The mini van has seen better days. It smells like sour spilled milk (because that is what happened several weeks ago in the back seat) and there are remnants of crackers and half eaten girl scout cookies all over the floor. I'm sure Amanda felt so young and hip going through the McDonald's drive thru in that thing.
Our flock totally took over the playground. We staked a claim on the baby swings and set up our camp around the sand pit. Everyone seemed to be intimidated by the mass of babies and children that they pretty much stayed away. There were sand, hamburgers, and random socks strewn all about, but the kids all had a good time.
We managed to stay about two hours, and no one was injured, just totally and completely covered in sand.
I'm sure the park was eerily quiet after our pack vacated the area (and there were more swings too)
So it can be done, the park with three mischievous babies and a three year old. Fun? Ah, sort of. A lot of energy and work? Ah, YES!
I'm tempted to say that it will be better once they can walk, but I know with the early stages of walking there will be even more challenges with taking them all out together. (Can you say LEASHES!)
One day maybe I can sit on a bench and be a spectator while my boys attack each other on the monkey bars and Evie declares herself Queen of the Park. But for now, it's all about participation, getting down and dirty and full of McDonald's cheese burger.
