little of this, little of that

We only have one computer now. Our PC died about a year or so ago and we never replaced it since Frank has a work lap top in addition to his PC at work. We usually have the lap top at home, but since he is up on site now a days, he takes the lap top daily so I do not have a computer to use. Blogging or emailing is not so fun to do from a phone of the Nook. This only allows me time here and there to get on the computer when Frank gets home and after we put the kids to bed.

The kids are great. They are loving that we can go outside more frequently now that the winds are starting to calm down. April really is an awesome month out here for temperatures, but it also is typically the most windy month of the year. Since the kids (and myself) have such severe seasonal allergies, we have to stay inside when it is super windy out. This weekend was chilly but since it was windy it did not really matter what it was like temperature wise. This week looks perfect, high 80s-sunshine and breeze. We will definitely be taking advantage and hitting up the park and outside play dates.



the three other kids are 5. Devin is so tiny compared to them



Devin is doing very well at swimming lessons. He can now dive down in the shallow end and retrieve dive rings as well as put his face in the water and do forward stroke (instead of doggie paddle.) It is amazing how far he has come in 5 weeks of lessons in a group setting. We have one more session this week and then two more weeks with two sessions in each week and then it is time to retire with this. By then we will have gone to CA for vacation and it will be June so he will be able to swim in friends pools or our community pool with me helping now that Riley is finally big enough for swimmies.

He is getting so great at writing and really is starting to get the hang of the tough letters. "S", "e" and "g" were his hardest ones but as of today he really can do them all well. He loves getting to learn new words and thankfully has not had any interest in learning to spell body parts recently. I was getting a little worried about his continual questioning about male and female body parts there for a bit. I guess it is only natural to want to know why Riley is different and what not...but asking me why his balls are wrinkly? I mean what do you say about that. It is not like I can say, "Ask your father" when it is only 8 am on a Tuesday....or when he asks why the hole on the end of his penis is so small. I still am not 100% sure I can do this whole boy thing...

Riley on the other hand is doing fantastic with potty training as a whole. She rarely has pee accidents and after this weekend finally is being verbal about telling me when she needs to go poops on the potty. She calls it "cuck" I guess from me telling her that her diaper was yucky when she had poopy pants? I have no idea, but she will say "cuck" and we run to the toilet in hopes that she poops there and not in her undies (or anywhere else.) Her being so skinny has created major wardrobe issues especially now that she no longer wears a diaper to hold up her pants/shorts. Forget skirts right now unless they are sized 12-18 months.  I mean I am happy she is skinny and not a fatty-but sadly most toddlers clothes are geared toward fat kids since SO many toddlers/young kids are over weight. Why can't it be like when I was a kid and the norm was skinny kids to average kids?

Tonight was a night from hell with Riley. She would not eat the dinner I made which is fine, but she would not even taste it. Devin ate his and he is SUPER picky when it comes to food. Riley simply refused. She was whiny and crying and wanted me to hold her, so I did but since I was on the computer all she wanted to do was gingerly push a key all sneaky like. I would put her down and she would cry and whine. Kill me. Frank was watching baseball/hockey on TV upstairs while Devin played so I brought her up there and close the gate behind me so I could finish the research I was doing on the computer at the kitchen table. She threw a fit and tried to break down the gate. It seemed like eternity but I am guessing it was only 5 or 6 minutes. She would cry and hyperventilate, gag on spit, scream. It was awful. I finally walked up and told her I would not pick her up if she was crying. She just turned it off and asked for "up up mommy." Instantly she was silent and sucking her thumb. I had to make her bed and she would not let me put her down until I distracted her with helping me put away the clothes and linens. She and Devin were promptly in bed and asleep by 7:10.  Silence really is golden as I sit here with no TV on, no children making noise, no dogs barking....just the sound of the keyboard. LOVE it.

Our mothers helper arrives in two weeks from yesterday. She really isn't a mothers helper since she will be 22 the day after she gets here...but she will definitely be my extra pair of hands. Her room is all set and Devin is already counting down the days until she arrives. He asks me questions every day. "Does Meghan like to play Go Fish?" "Does Meghan like to color Spiderman or Mickey Mouse?" Which brings me to this. Everyday Devin works on his spelling/writing when Riley sleeps. We then play games, do puzzles, play outside and if it is super windy-he gets to watch some TV. Today we played one if his favorite games-Go fish. He is very good at holding up his cards in a fan now and it just melts my heart when he fishes what he asked for and he says, "I fished my wish." I taught him that saying and to be honest I have no idea where or who I learned it from. He does love that card game though and we play it at least 4 out of the 7 days.