Wordless Wednesday

The holiday effect of having older siblings

On the way to take Helen and Will to school the other morning, I was in the holiday spirit. I decided to sing a little "Jingle Bells." Immediately I was met with odd, and adamant, resistance.

"Jingle bells! Jingle bells! Jingle all the way!"

"NO, NO, NO, NO. That not how it goes!"

"Oh what fun it is to ride . . . ."

At this point, they are beside themselves, insisting that I stop and that I'm not singing it right. Although I undoubtedly was off-key, that didn't seem to be the problem. "No! Sing it like Charlie and Joe sing it," they demanded.

What?

So they demonstrated. "Jingle bells! Batman smells! Robin layed an egg!"

The other bunny

As previously noted, Will asked Santa for "a green rabbit" for Christmas. An oddly specific and -- well -- just plain odd request. It's not like he's particularly into rabbits. Or animals even.

This peculiar request caused me to spend an hour on amazon.com at work, making sure that such a thing as a green rabbit did, indeed, exist. You know, so Santa wouldn't have too much trouble procuring one.

But since he does have the attention span of, fittingly, a 3-year-old, I wasn't sure Santa should run out and fulfill his request just yet. It's not even mid-December, after all. I figured I should feel this one out for awhile, just to confirm that the green rabbit thing is a true desire, and not just a whim.

So the last few days, right before I put Will and Helen to bed, I've been asking Will what he wants Santa to bring for Christmas. Each time, he says a green rabbit. I ask him what he's going to do with a green rabbit. He says he will squeeze it and make it talk and asks what rabbits say. (Uh-oh, can Santa find a talking green rabbit? That's a tall request!) I tell him that rabbits are pretty quiet, which he thankfully accepts. Helen offers that rabbits hop. So Will says that's what he'll do - "I'm going to hop my rabbit!" Lots of hopping ensues. Rabbits are the topic of the evening.

So with all my questioning, it's become clear that Will does, indeed, want a green rabbit for Christmas. And guess what else? Now Helen wants a yellow one.

Wordless Wednesday

What having four kids will drive you to consider

The other night I went to bed with a slight headache. My headache medicine of choice is Excedrin, but since it contains caffeine, which would keep me awake, I decided not to take any. But I tossed and turned most of the night, without any relief from the headache, so at 4:30 I got up and took two Excedrin.

This was on a weekend, so I didn't have to get up until 7. And I am not, by nature, a morning person. At all. So getting up at 7 on a weekend is usually more like Cort and I both laying in bed until 7:15 or so, listening to Will and Helen repeatedly yell, "Mommy, it's seven!! Daddy, it's seven!!" all the while hoping that if we stay really still, eventually the other one will actually get up and get them out of their cribs. Or at least, that's what I do. I think Cort actually sleeps through all the yelling, which is why I'm almost always the one who eventually gets up. And then sometimes put Dora on the TV to catch another half hour of sleep.

Anyway, after taking the Excedrin, I was wide awake at 5:30am. At 6, I decided to get up. I went downstairs. The house was peaceful, quiet. I got on the computer and checked Facebook, Google Reader, and did some internet Christmas shopping. Uninterrupted. I unloaded the dishwasher so we could start the day fresh and without piled up dishes. I straightened up the kitchen and the living room.

By the time the kids were up at 7, I had both accomplished some "me" time and had a productive morning. This must be how "morning people" feel every day. It was wonderful!

So I got to thinking. What if I set two Excedrin on my bedside table with a cup of water, set my alarm for 5am, and popped a couple of pills early every morning? By 6am, I'd be up and raring to go! This could change my life!

After I fantasized about my new, efficient lifestyle for a few minutes, it occurred to me that this is probably how addiction starts, isn't it? Darn.

No Moms Allowed

This past weekend, Cort took Charlie, Joseph, and Helen on the first annual "No Moms Allowed" camping trip. (More about Will later.)

I can't really report too much, since I wasn't allowed to go. But I did get periodic email updates with pictures, so I can share those. (Ah, camping in the age of technology). And everyone, including dad, reported having a lot of fun.

Kids eating around the campfire


Helen with Dad on her first camping trip

Bike riding

And trike riding

Will saw this one and was alarmed: "She needs a grownup with her!"


Of course, there was some dads-and-kids football


The football players

Mmmmm. Hot chocolate.


Not sure about real fishing, but Helen caught a Vaughn fish

The campfire. Cort sent this to me around 7:30pm. The kids had already been in bed for an hour.

Now, if you are wondering why Will didn't go, sure, that's an appropriate question. And here's the answer.

Cort is, of course, super Dad. There were four dads participating in the camping weekend. Cort had not only the most kids there, but also the youngest kid there. But there is a limit. And he quite reasonably decided that he was up for taking one 3-year-old camping, but not two.

Helen got picked because she is more independent, more likely to try to keep up with the big kids, and a better sleeper. Those factors outweighed the fact that she can't pee in the woods.

She reported that she loved camping, and Cort reported that he only lost her once. (And thankfully, Joe followed Cort's instructions to the T, staying right with her even though he was unable to get Miss Independent to stay on the trail she was supposed to be on. So that's really only quasi-lost.)

Will, then, stayed home for a "special weekend" with Mom. Which he loved.

We bought presents for dad and his siblings (which he picked out with guidance), wrapped them, and placed them under the Christmas tree. During the wrapping - specifically, putting the gift tags on the presents - I found out that he can write his own name. Oh, poor third/fourth child. We've got to spend more one-on-one time with these guys. Yes, he can write his own name, and all sorts of other things ("Dad," "Mom," "Joe" - all on his own!). We played games, read books, and watched Frosty the Snowman. We ran errands together and took a walk around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights. I only had to run the dishwasher once all weekend. (OK, that's not about Will, but it amazed me so I just had to share.)

Arranging (aka, throwing) his gifts under the Christmas tree


He asked me to take this picture of his new tennis shoes "because they have As and airplanes on the bottom." Mr. Observant.


Showing off his name-writing skills


He wrote this too: "Merry Tree." ("Merry Christmas" didn't do it for him.)

Hoping for the future: Camping trips for the whole family, and more "special" time with the kids individually.

Dear Santa

From Joe:

HI! SANTA CLAWS THANKS FOR LOtS OF PReSeNTS IN 2009 I HOPe I Get A LOT of PReSeNTS I HOPe YOU GIVe Me THe STUFF ON MY LIST THANKS - JOe MADDUX


1. ORBeeZ - MAGIC MACKeR
2. FOOTBALL SCOReBOARD
3. SHOT CLOCK
4. PLAY CLOCK
5. ReD AND Yellow socceR CARDS
6. TICKeTS WITH MONeY
7. MINI COMPUTeR
8. ShrINKY DINKS
9. ReD WALeT
10. VIDIO CAMERA
11. CLOCK (12 HOUR) (DIDGITAL)
12. 100 YARD TAPe MeSARe


HAPPY CHRISTMAS BY! See YOU AT 2011


He has been working on his list for weeks. It appears that he plans to build a football field? Scribble marks at bottom courtesy of his little sister.


From Charlie:

Santa will you please Give me . . . harry Potter #2, miLLion DoLLer STrike, miLLion Doller kick, miLLion Doller goal.


Santa thank you For my presents Last year. I have Been a good Boy


Love Charlie Maddux


All he asked for was four books. Joe already got him the Harry Potter, so Joe had to write an extra letter to Santa telling him not to bring that one.


From Helen:

Dear Santa,


Hi. Thank you for the presents you brought me last year. I have been a good girl. Please bring me:


stickers - lots
clippies and bows
yellow ball


Love,


Helen Maddux


I gave her lots of help on the text, and I suggested the clips and bows, hoping that if Santa brings them, maybe she will wear them? The other two items were all hers though. And of course, she wrote her name, which she loves to do right now.


From Will:

Dear Santa


I have been a good boy. Please bring me


A blue present with a green rabbit in it
Toy Christmas tree
Book


Love
Will


Um, where did he come up with these items? Strange. He worked hard, though. He had me write the letter in highlighter so he could trace it. Took him a long time to finish, but he was quite diligent.

Wordless Wednesday

Makes my Monday

As we were coming home from school today, Helen looked out the window of the car and said, "Mommy! I saw a cloud that looks like South America!"

I love the things that they teach the kids at that school.

Are you ready for some football?!!

Fun running

Today is the fourth of five straight days with the kids at home for the Thanksgiving holiday. That made it about time to get out of the house before they went stir crazy, so this morning we loaded everyone up and went to the "Just for Kids" Fun Run at Memorial Park. My kind of fun run - one in which I don't have to do any running.

There was a 25-meter "Toddler Trot," a 400-meter run, and a 1-kilometer run. Will and Helen ran the 400m. Helen was very serious about it, and ran "very fast" - at least according to her. Will was almost, but not quite, the slowest 400m runner. He ran the first half at a pace that seemed, if possible, slower than his walk. He picked it up at the halfway point, though, and actually ran. I was still able to keep up with him by walking with long strides, but he did manage to pass a few kids.

Joe and Charlie ran the 400m as a warmup, then ran the 1k. They were very excited and really enjoyed it. There was a race clock at the finish line so they could see their time, which of course they loved. When we got home, Joe immediately got on the internet to try to find other fun runs they could enter.

Helen running "very fast"

Will got some support from Joe as he ran to the finish line

Joe, all serious at the starting line

Are you ready to race? Yeah!

Joe was the first Maddux to finish (time - 5:20)

Charlie finished soon after (time - 5:41)

Charlie and Helen post-race, showing off their medals

Merry merry!

Guess whose house is decorated for Christmas!!

We had full participation from all four kids this year. Tree is fully decorated on the bottom half, partially decorated on top. Amazingly only broke one ornament. Cort escaped to the outside in order to avoid the chaos (and it was definitely chaos!), so the outside lights are all done as well.

Merry Christmas!

Helen got to put the first ornament on the tree

Will was next

Then Joe

And finally Charlie

Posing in front of the tree

Christmas is fun!

Thankful

Yesterday, Cort and I returned from a long weekend trip with friends to Napa and Sonoma Counties.

We learned a little about the process of turning grapes into wine, and we tasted a lot of wine.

We saw vineyards in their beautiful autumn splendor.

We met interesting winemakers, and saw rows and rows of wine.

We saw caves of champagne and learned about the riddling process.

And enjoyed some champagne (which has always been my personal favorite) as well.

We saw AMAZING views of the valley

Which we enjoyed over a few glasses of wine and a picnic.

And while we were gone, Gramma and Gransan took wonderful care of our four kids, including the one who spent part of the time throwing up.

It seems appropriate to express thanks, doesn't it?

And soccer again!

Last, but certainly not least, this was the first year that Will and Helen played soccer. Three-year-old soccer is something everyone should experience. And Cort not only experienced it, but also coached it. There is a special place in heaven for parents who have volunteered to coach three-year-old soccer. (He did a great job, of course, and all the kids loved him and had a great time.)

Amoeba ball

Coach Cort lining up his team, ready for . . .

the train!

We somewhat expected Helen, who we feel is our most coordinated child and who will go toe-to-toe with her older brothers, to be a little soccer phenom. Not so much. She seemed unprepared for the fact that the other kids were going to be going after the ball as well. I guess we forgot how self-centered she is! But she was always willing to try, and she had a few really good kicks -- one of which almost was a goal in the last game. And she was pretty proud to be a soccer player.

Ready to play!

Fancy footwork

She can dribble, if she's wide open

Will wasn't much of an athlete, which was not unexpected. He kicked the ball - but only when Coach Dad picked him to kick off or take a free kick. He ran around - but not always with the pack. He was, however, always willing to go in when coach needed him (on a three-year-old team, this is actually a valued skill). And he LOVED talking about how he played soccer. In fact, to hear him tell it he was the star of the team.

Running around

Kickoff!

See how much bigger that other kid is? No wonder the other kids outran him!

Getting a little coaching from his big brother Joe (who had similar talent at age 3, but now is quite the soccer player!)

All in all, there were a few times that I thought we were crazy for signing our three-year-olds up for soccer--especially when the older boys were already playing soccer and baseball--but Will and Helen both really enjoyed it and we are glad we did it. We are also, however, glad that it's over until next year!

Go Rapids!