Monday, September 24, 2007

Praise Jesus that I shaved recently

My legs that is (you pervs). They just seem to fall to the wayside these days. I am fresh off a weekend shave and now sporting this look





















"Why", you ask?

Because I had gone to shut the garage door, as this evening's downpour was in full effect, I was holding Mairin and tripped on a train Quinn left on the floor on my way back to the couch to continue feeding her. My motherly instincts and ninja-esque presence allowed me to bite it in such a was as to protect my precious cargo. Mairin was absolutely fine and probably thought we had just sat back down on the couch to continue Feed Fest 2007. Me however, not so much. I ended up breaking my foot. I had a bad feeling that that might be the case. I was still crying when Eddy got home about 15 minutes later. Quinn kept telling me, "Don't cry, daddy will fix it when he gets home". Well, I just had daddy take me to the after hours clinic, dump me at the front desk, and return to the Sienna to drive around with our brood. They confirmed the break and now I am in this sexy accessory for at least a week.

As if I didn't have enough going on trying to care for the clan with two good legs. It's never a dull moment around here!

It also doesn't help that I am probably the least graceful person on the planet. Call me Kerry the Klutz.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Everything old

Is New Again.


I have to tell you that old school seems to work best when it comes to teethers. We *think* they are all teething as evidenced by the massive drooling and desire to shove everything including both fists at one time into their mouths. I have been on a quest to find a teether that actually helps that they don't drop within a second of gripping it.




The clear winner is the totally retro Soft Teething Beads by The First Years. I remember them from way back in the day. All 3 seem to prefer this teether and can actually chomp on it for quite some time before it falls away. Easy to grip, easy to jam into mouth, and even better...cheap! I think I paid about $2. Too bad you can't find them too many places as everyone seems to be pushing all the crap that is just too much sensory overload, IMO. It says they have them at Target but I didn't see them there. This was an impulse buy during a quick run to Cub that had gone horribly south for Noel. It was a Christmas miracle, aside from the fact that it wasn't Christmas. Anyhoo.




A close second is the RaZbaby RaZ-Berry Teether which I purchased from Creative Kidstuff. Good especially if they like a pacifier (which ours do).













On a somewhat unrelated note though in the retro category, I scored a few amazing finds at a garage sale my mom, Quinn, babies, and myself just chanced upon up at the lake over Labor Day.

Remember the Fischer Price School Days Desk?




















And the Little People Schoolhouse?
























And the Chatter Phone?




















Well I got them all (ha, ha, ha-evil laugh), complete, and want to keep them all to myself. Quinn has really been enjoying the desk and letters/numbers. I still won't let him play with the cardboard word cards as he is too rough with them right now. Is that bad that I don't know how to share?

Wanna come over and play?

Friday, September 21, 2007

For those following Emilie's story

She is an amazingly gifted writer and has recently published a story in the Catholic Spirit which can be viewed here. I hope you don't mind me linking this, Emilie.

Keep thinking good thoughts for her and her miracle baby.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Bottle talk



Is it just me or did anyone else not know about this issue of bottles leaching chemicals?

The gist:

"Whether the animal studies translate to humans is a matter of intense debate. But in early August a federal panel of scientists concluded that there is "some concern" that BPA could pose some risk to the brain development of fetuses, infants or children.

Meanwhile, an independent group of BPA researchers issued their own warning in the journal Reproductive Toxicology: Very low levels of exposure to the chemical can potentially pose adverse health effects, especially to a fetus.

That was more than I needed to switch from Avent bottles, which have been shown to have high leaching rates, to glass. "

Guess who was using Avent??? Me! Of course I did so thinking that it was the best choice in regard to colic and overall health, being as close to BFing as possible. Quinn rarely used a bottle and really only BF directly so I am not so worried about what harm might have been done. The babies now frequently get bottles of pumped milk (and sometimes preemie formula since I need to supplement some now). I have officially made the switch to some glass (which are not so easy to find) and also Adiri bottles.



I love the Adiri Natural Nurser. It really is very breast-like and the babies have taken to it just fine. I was afraid they would refuse being as they were accustomed to Avent, but no problems from any of them. I personally feel it is more like BFing than Avent it. Yes, they are of course a bit more expensive, but in the end it is worth it to me if by chance I do prevent chemical uptake in their tiny bodies.

They have plenty of time to pump their bodies full of chemicals in their adult lives, but not under my watch.

Comment:
Overwhelming body of scientific evidence shows BPA is safe...

Response:
The reality is that there is a significant body of scientific research that establishes, beyond any doubt, that bisphenol A is highly estrogenic. In other words, it binds with the estrogen receptor and has the capacity to stimulate estrogenic responses. This means that it is biologically active and therefore not "totally safe." Moreover, there are a series of animal studies in the last 5 years that show that bisphenol A actually does lead to developmental abnormalities in laboratory animals at low levels of exposure. This also directly contradicts their assertion that it is totally safe.

The Gentleman Farmer


My beautiful big 3 year old boy started preschool following Labor Day which is both a happy and sad occasion for mommy. I am happy that I get him out of the house for a couple of afternoons a week so that there is a minuscule chance that I can catch up on laundry/clean, etc., but sad to think that he is already old enough to be in preschool. Before I know it we WILL be going to prom together (you don't think that will be awkward for him do you?).






I really love his school, The Children's Farm (I think their website sucks but am guessing they put all their focus on the kiddies). I had been hearing amazing things about this place since we had moved up here and started thinking ahead to his schooling future. Since it is nearly all outdoors I heard it was great at wearing the kiddies out and God knows that I need that since he has never been a napper. I had also heard that it was nearly impossible to get into because they only take a handful of kids. I didn't know if I really wanted to try and enroll him this year or wait until next when he would be 4 because I didn't know how nuts things would be with the triplets, etc. I sent in his application (it had to be in by Feb. 1st which was right after the babies came) figuring he wouldn't get accepted but he actually did!

I will write more about the school in a bit. Here are a few photos of him during the first class (which was with mommy).

They feed and water the animals, go on nice walks, grow things in the garden and use them during snack time, etc., ride the horses, do art projects, sing songs... Kind of a non-traditional school but really great nonetheless. I want to go there myself.

Feeding the goats, Sugar and Pepper. They have very soft tongues.













Learning to pump water, and being pleased with his result.



























Here are the basics from their site:

AT THE CHILDREN'S FARM,

EARLY LEARNING is important,
and LEARNING BY DOING is basic.


Love of nature and understanding of the interactions of all living things are learned.
    There are many outdoor activities in a spacious, aesthetic, natural surrounding and first-hand experiences with the nature cycle in gardening, hikes, wildlife observation, weather, plants and trees, and food.

Enjoyment of and respect for animals is learned, and this knowledge can help children understand their emerging selves and strengthen their ability to love and respect other people.
    Many experiences with animals on the farm are provided, including daily chores, baby animals, birth, death, and food production.

Learning how to control their bodies through many kinds of physical activities gives children strength, confidence, and skill that carry over into all areas of development.
    There is a large outdoor play area, and climbing, digging, building, swinging, and daily physical fitness activities such as skill-building, movement exploration, or hiking are offered.


Respect, love, and enjoyment of other people are learned gradually as the shild experiences and interacts with an increasingly larger circle of friends and acquaintances.
    A homelike environment and small groups (17 in a class with 2 teachers) allow for an informal atmosphere with many opportunities for social interactions.


Self-confidence is learned through developing many skills so the child becomes increasingly self-reliant.
    Children are encouraged to dress themselves, prepare food, make choices, take responsibility for their actions, and help themselves and others.


Concepts of space, shape, classification and quantity are learned at an early age as children play with real objects and are guided to see relationships.
    Learning through the senses and direct experiences with shapes, number, size differences, and a large variety of manipulative material, much of it found in the natural or home environment, and introduced to the child individually when ready to learn.


Communication skills are basic to future learning and to the child's ability to speak and listen well and are learned as the child is surrounded with language and encouraged to talk.
    There are so many activities that are stimulating to talk about! By discussing, questioning, sharing ideas, planning new projects, carrying out directions, books, stories, charts, signs, and children's story telling, children begin to see the written word as an extension of speech and as another exciting way to communicate.


Learning attitudes are developed, and a child's early contact with school is a strong determiner as to how the child views the whole world of school and learning.
    Curiosity and initiative are encouraged as a child learns to direct his own learning. Each child's own learning rate and style are respected. Warmth and friendship accompany real enthusiasm for learning.

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Thank God for large and small miracles

My friend Emilie and her unborn baby made it through her surgery okay. It took about twice as long as they thought and she lost a lot of blood but thankfully she still has two heartbeats residing in her body. Please keep the prayers coming for her as she recovers! She deserves a miracle if anyone ever has.

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Labor Day at the lake house... a synopsis in blurb and picture

We went to my parent's lake house for the holiday weekend, which is currently the only holiday we will be getting for quite some time. Not so easy to pack and travel with 4 children. Luckily, it isn't too far ~ 45 min on Balsam Lake in WI. They bought this property right before my wedding in 2003 and then proceeded to rip the old joint down and rebuild on the footprint. I wouldn't exactly say we are roughing it at the lake which is good seeing as we probably qualify as urban campers; hotels as opposed to tents. There is no smell of must anymore, just fresh clean lake air.



Noel's first boat ride. We still only have 1 infant life jacket so I chose the fussiest baby at the time. Surprise, surprise it was Noel. Eddy stayed and napped with Ewan and Mairin. Noel seemed to enjoy himself as judged by the lack of screaming.


























Quinn fell asleep while resting against grandma...


So we just left him there for awhile while mommy went in and got liquored up (okay, I had 1 margarita and my mom went back to read her magazine on the boat)


























Then we did a little triplet fighting a la Michael Vick/Thaimerican Gladiators (but with none of the horrific torture or death). Okay, Ewan was to smart to get involved in this melee, plus he could literally kick the crap out of them (he gets crazy power and momentum whilst slamming his legs down on the floor).

















Winner eats loser's arm:















All made up and lovey once more


I think they are conspiring and developing their own forms of communication

Baby or beast?












Daddy and Ewan












The end