Fun With Household Objects

May 23rd, 2007

yesterday we made playdough out of salt, flour, and water.  and then we added food coloring and glitter and sequins and whatever we could find to add a little bling!  they did so good!  my oldest’s is “humpty dumpty sat on a wall”, my middlest’s is “run, run fast as you can.  you can’t catch me i’m the gingerbread man”, and my girl’s is “my heart…da-y.” (my heart belongs to daddy – she has this saying on some jammies and says it every time she sees a heart!)  i love that she stuck the star inside the heart.  and that my 4year old’s man is really running.  and that my 5 year old, as with everything, took so much care to make it “just right.”  and i also love that it took 5 minutes to prep this project, 5 minutes to clean up after, and 2 hours of uninterrupted entertainment.  2 hours!

2 Under 2 - 2nd Edition

a few more…

let go the guilt.  so you don’t have time for the 2nd like you did the first.  cindy (you know the one that’s had 13 children!) once told me that the first just has a different kind of blessing.  and this is true.  and needed.  because the first also has more pressure.  it just happens.  with more privilege comes more responsibility.  which leads into the next truth.

the first will not be like an only.  and that’s a good thing.  that’s why you had another one, right?  they will learn all things you’ve imagined – to care for the smaller, to share, to live in chaos more peacefully…  but they will give up complete order, quiet, undivided attention, all the extra time and energy you have.  it’s a trade-off – but one that’s worth it.  and this leads to the next…

they will survive.  really.  everybody’s crying?  they’ll get over it.  in another 15 minutes they’ll probably be smiling again.  even if you do everything wrong.  which you won’t most of the time…  which leads to…

sometimes you will do everything wrong.  you will.  you will yell when you should comfort.  you will leave when you should stay.  you will smother when you should give space.  you will let them “cry it out” and find them covered in poop an hour later.  you will beat yourself up.  and that’s when you look back at “they will survive”  and “let go the guilt”.  and then…

you learn to laugh.  i’m still falling short in this one, but getting better.  the more you laugh, the more they laugh.  and isn’t that one of your fantasies about having several children – everyone giggling and laughing and enjoying life?  then giggle and laugh and enjoy life.  even when they’re covered in poop and you’re the only one there to clean it up and you’re still trying to nurse the second.  laugh.  because if it weren’t happening to you – you’d find it funny.  ie – last night - my newest one was wailing at colic time.  the other 3 were back in bed after nana and papa had dropped in (but still not asleep) and matt was mowing the yard.  i walked outside with my loud sweet pea on my arm in the “colic hold” and swaying him to try to quiet him.  he quieted.  i stepped back inside to turn the tv off and he immediately started wailing.  i stepped out the door – stopped.  so what did i do, the tender mom that i am?  stood on the threshhold turning from out – quiet – to in – wailing.  and laughing.  all by myself.  tormenting my 2 month old.  but it was funny.  you know in a warped kinda way. 

one of your new mottos should be “they’re building immunity”.  when they’ve smeared that poop you left them in everywhere, “they’re building immunity.”  when the puking 2 year old puts her finger in the 1 one month old’s mouth (because they will), “they’re building immunity.”  when you swipe the something out of your 8 month old’s mouth while you were distracted trying to potty the toddler and the something was a semi-dead beetle, everyone with me now, “they’re building immunity.”

this too shall pass.  when everyone needs something right now and there’s only one of you and everyone’s wailing like they aren’t going to make it – just know in 10 minutes everything will settle again.  it won’t stay at that crazy level indefinitely.  especially if you don’t flip out.  just quickly prioritize and jump in one at a time.  who’s in most imminent danger?  fix that one and then move to the next.  even if that means the eggs are getting methodically broken in the fridge, there is a marker trail being drawn from the front door to the “spy hide-out”, and the cat is eating your dinner off the table – you ignore all that while you rescue the 2 month old from having the paci “stuffed” into his mouth by the well-meaning toddler who’s been breaking eggs a moment ago.  then shoo the cat (“we’re building immunity”), while cleaning up raw egg child with fridge still open, infant crying in a safe spot, and marker trail getting longer.  next to the raw egg clean up in fridge while telling 4 year old to please stop decorating our home.  wash hands, try paci for infant, start show for 2 year old, and move to marker clean-up while brain-storming what he could use instead to leave a trail for the 5 year old to find.  pick up infant, move to couch to watch show with 2 year old to recover and then move to book reading if you so desire.  and voila!  10 minutes have passed and everyone’s calm again.  including you.  and if you’re really wild you’ll stop to get pictures while laughing maniacally.

2 Under 2

i’ve been thinking for awhile about having so many little ones under 6 years old.  and about how much easier it’s gotten.  and the things i’ve learned along the way.  and that i should share them.  because i would’ve given my right arm to learn some of these things, oh, you know, not the hard way.  so here are a few.  and i’ll update the list as new ones come to mind or i learn a new one, oh, you know, the hard way.  please feel free to add to my list in the comments or by emailing me and i’ll try to pull some of ‘em out and post ‘em for others.

in no particular order…

• when venturing out to walmart – take a baby carrier/sling/backpack thing.  park by a buggy.  even if that’s in timbuktu – consider the walk yet more exercise.  put the 2 year old in the buggy first and then strap baby onto your body.
• when making cinnamon rolls – buy the off-brand and unroll them, pinch them into thirds, at least, roll them up like normal and then bake them as usual.  now they’re “cutesy” and bite-sized.
• seussian pancakes – buy a box of (again) off-brand pancake mix.  mix up the entire box at one time, seperate into different bowls, color each bowl a different color with food coloring, and cook them all.  freeze them in ziplocks.  now you have breakfast anytime.  fast.  and the kids love ‘em colored.  and their poop comes out fun colors too.  just thought i’d warn you.
• when you chop onions (or any veggie or fruit) chop all that you can at once and freeze them in ziplocks.  saves so much time.  later.  b) do this with ground beef – buy the big tube, brown it all, and freeze it in recipe sized portions.  c) same with chicken breasts – boil them all, shred them all, seperate into recipe sized portions.  so much time saved.
• do what you can – when you can.  when nobody’s crying at you (you know, in that 3 minutes…) a) make all the sippy cups you can.  fill them with what you know they want and stack ‘em in the fridge.  then they can get the drinks themselves or you can grab as you need ‘em.  same with b) blogging – i’ve done 3 posts while sitting here – ‘causin’ i won’t be able to get to the computer except one-handed for no tellin’ how long.  c) same with settin’ out their clothes for the next time you go to town  d) tape their shows you approve of so you’re not stuck watching somethin’ you don’t wanna or pullin’ your hair out.
• drop your expectations.  a) i hope to finish this post.  probably won’t happen right now.  so i won’t get frustrated (ok, so maybe just a little) i’ll just save it and work on it the next time nobody’s crying.  b) walmart will not go off without a hitch.  it just won’t.  if it ever does – put it on the calendar because it won’t happen again.  really.  face it.  now, when they fall apart in front of the candy at the check out after a 2 hour shopping trip you’ll be happy to know you’re normal, not mad because they weren’t perfect.  c) a dinner that says it takes 20 minutes to prep – with 2 under 2 that translates to roughly an hour and a half.  really.  see, now you’re not mad, you just planned an hour and 10 minutes earlier to cook.
• if you find yourself needing 2 buggies at walmart (which i do frequently when leaving – i never can get everything back into one buggy after check out) leave 2 year old where they are (if you pick them up to move them you’ll have a meltdown when you put them right back into a different buggy.)  tell the checkout person you need a second buggy (they’re never really fond of this, but that’s ok) – connect the 2 buggies by using the seatbelt straps to hook to the end of the other buggy and walk out like a train.  2 year old is still in the buggy that’s in the back and you’re pulling the buggy by the end that’s up front.  checking frequently to see if 2 year old is bailing out and making sure that 5 year old is holding 4 year old’s hand and holding the buggy simultaneously.  (did i mention that you must rid yourself of any pride when the second child is born?)
• ok, while no one’s crying at me – i must excuse myself, finish unloading the dishwasher, clean off the counter, make up those sippies for morning, reload dishwasher, fold laundry, and start a new load of clothes, so that i can switch them in the a.m., and do a sweep of the house for off-limits stuff that 2 year old can destroy first thing in the morning that my hubby and i might have left out tonight, ie. pretzels in the bag on the couch, cups of water that could be dumped, and on and on and on…