Science Fun

It has been YEARS since I have been to the Science Center in Des Moines, and I have never been to the new location.  On a whim, Alena and I decided to go last weekend and we had a grand old time!

I wasn't sure if she was at the right age to enjoy the Science Center, but I think everything was age appropriate.  At the last minute we decided to leave the twins at home, but looking back, I think they would have had a good time, too.  

We started the day in the "toddler" area, making hand prints in pegs, placing food in conveyor belts and making huge bubbles.  Then we watched a scientist do experiments with liquid nitrogen.  After that we headed upstairs where there is an entire room dedicated to creating things.  AJ's favorite was creating a rocket then using the rocket launcher to make it fly.  After walking through the planetarium, and looking at caged animals, Alena got to be a weather lady. 

We spent two hours there, which to me, makes it worth the money.  She is already asking to go back again, but this time wants "the babies to come along."  In fact, she was a little upset they didn't go with her the first time.  I would think she would enjoy a little one on one time with mom or dad, but honestly, she wants to do things as an entire family.  We'll see if she is still thinking that way when she's 10. 

Making The Most Of It

So what do you do when it's too cold and windy outside to get some fresh air? Winter is so challenging because everyone feels couped up by the middle of the weekend. During the week, we at least get out of the house every day for school and the countless activities the kids do at daycare make the day go by fast for them, I'm sure.

So, we improvise and create our own fun on the weekends to make them more enjoyable. When it's not horrible outside, we do try to run one "family errand" together, whether that be going to Target, Home Depot or Merle Hay Mall to let everyone get their wiggles out.

A few weekends ago, we decided to head up to Mills Fleet and Farm store because we had never been there. We actually had a good time, and the kids especially liked playing in the ice tents and walking up and down the food aisles.  (I'm pretty sure DQ took every box of rice krispie bars off the shelf).

Everyone loves art class, so we decided to do a little painting last weekend. Two teachers help eight 1-2 year olds paint nearly every day, so how hard could it be? Oh My Goodness! What a disaster. As you can see from the pictures, it started out very innocent and "clean", but quickly took a u-turn, which included both twins taking a lick off their paint brushes. Then DQ decided she wanted to get off her chair and paint on the floor. Thankfully all the paint cleaned up very easily. Needless to say, their baths were completed in the morning right after art class.

(Did I already say I love my new camera?!)

 



Last night, the empty laundry basket was sitting out because although I had successfully put all the clothes away right after I folded them, (rarely happens), I hadn't had a chance to take the basket to the laundry room. Caleb was playing with it so I popped him in and pushed him around the floor. Then LW thought it looked like fun so she jumped in too. AJ didn't want to miss out, so the twins moved over so she could join in on the fun. We pushed them around and around the kitchen floor for a while. Cheap entertainment!

Spending time with Tessa-so glad they live 12 minutes away!

 



Unfortunately, sometimes I have to spend some of the weekend cleaning, especially if family is coming over or we recently had visitors.  My girls LOVE to help me clean, so much that I find it a little concerning.  Just give Lauren a paper towel and she is content.  Alena can actually help me dust most of the house and they both love helping scrub the floor.  It's fun having little helpers and it makes cleaning so much more fun.  I've known this for a long time, but AJ is a little OCD about certain things, like her mom!  She has to have her blankets just right on her bed, is often lining up shoes on the rug by the door, and helps give me organization tips.  The other day, I rearranged some frames and decor in her room.  She noticed right away and wanted me to put things back the way they were.  Hopefully this will be a helpful trait for her down the road, and not an inhibiting trait. 

Well, as I've said before I am so ready for Spring.  We are definitely raising "outdoor" kids who want to be outside as much as possible, and now that CW can open doors all by himself to try and escape, for now we have to literally lock them in.  I love having three parks within walking distance of our house, and countless paths to walk on.  It will be even more fun when everyone can ride a bike and we can go on family bike rides.    Until then I guess we'll keep finding things to keep everyone entertained. 

A Mother's Mind

Mothers. We are experts at multi-tasking. It's probably a class that we should all take before having children to help us learn how to be "skilled" multi-taskers. But often, we are just thrown into it, hoping to keep our heads above water by the end of the day. Mothers can cradle a baby, prepare dinner, help a child with school work, and wipe a buggery nose, all at the same time. It's no wonder at the end of the day, we are exhausted.

Our minds are constantly going-thinking about what we need to do to keep the family functioning. Our "To Do" lists are continually growing, and when we think we are able to cross many items off, it grows again:  Treats for daycare. Birthday card for grandma. Pick up dry cleaning...

Finding time to take care of ourselves is challenging. It's no wonder many mothers find themselves "letting go" and forgetting about ourselves.

So have I become the yoga pant wearing-shower when I can-pull my hair in a pony tail kind of mother?  Not exactly, but when you have limited time, you do JUST enough.  Obviously, I work 5 days a week so I can't live in sweatpants all day long, although if I were a stay at home mom, maybe things would be different.  If we are going somewhere on the weekend, the last thing I do is get dressed because I have toddlers and we all know how messy they are.  (I have one in particular whose daycare teacher even mentioned what a messy eater he/she is!  My mom recently reminded me of when my brother's teacher told her he was the messiest kid she has ever had in class-I hope this one isn't following down his/her uncle's path).  We literally lift each twin out of their highchair after a meal, holding them as far away from us as possible to prevent their messy paws from getting on us, and bring them over to the sink for a washing.  CW enjoys playing in the water and pulling the faucet down, occasionally spraying one or both of us.  Once everyone is cleaned, diapered, dressed and in the van, I get dressed :).  Until that point, I am slummin' in my jammies.

Mothers are pros at looking at their "To Do" list and determining the best strategy to getting some things accomplished.  We need groceries, household items, dad needs a new light bulb and I have a sack of stuff to donate- We'll hit super Target to knock out a couple things, run to Home Depot quick and then swing by Goodwill on our way home.  Meanwhile, we are always worried about the timing of these errands.  Has everyone eaten?  Who hasn't pooped today?  Will we have to worry about diaper changes while we are out and about (I NEVER bring a diaper bag in the stores.  I know my children's potty habits like riding a bicycle.  However, I know some day one of them will surprise me and have a big blowout in the middle of a shopping trip, but luckily this hasn't happened yet. I always have diapers and wipes in the van, but NOT extra clothes).  I guess the day that big blowout occurs will put an abrupt stop to my errand running. 

Now, I am VERY lucky that I rarely, if ever, take all three kids alone to run errands.  Justin usually tags along if we're making it a family affair which is very helpful.  Props to all those with 3+ kids who make multiple errand stops in one day by yourself.  Just getting kids in and out of the vehicle is a chore, and even more annoying in winter:  Start the van so it can warm up.  Run child out to the van without coat on and buckle him/her in.  Shut door.  Run inside and grab the second child and buckle him/her into the van.  Shut the door.  Carry 4 year old out to the van when she's "too cold" to walk by herself.  Shut the door.  Get in the driver's seat.  Turn around and buckle 4 year old in, allowing her to tighten before you do or she will make you start all over.  Drive to destination.  Unbuckle 4 year old.  Help her put on her coat and hat while twins are whining at you to get them out of the car.  Let 4 year old open CW's door or she will shut it and open it again.  Put hat and coat on child.  Carry child over to the other side of the van.  Set child on the floor of the van while putting hat and coat on second twin.  Put one twin on each hip. Shut the door.  Look to see where your 4 year old is (which is usually right beside me, but you never know!).  Walk into the store.  Whew, that's exhausting just typing that all out...

Now fathers, you can be good multi-taskers too, but your limit is usually 2, MAYBE 3 things at once.  A man's mind is usually not constantly thinking of all the things that need to be done, cleaned, purchased, put away, thrown away, or given away.  Mothers are the ones that think of anything and everything that might be needed for an overnight stay or a weekend get away:  Medication in case someone has a fever, a teether if someone is teething, my daughter's favorite blanket, my husband's baby teeth (OK, just kidding, I threw those away, but you see what I'm saying). I have a sister in law, who seriously brings everything but the kitchen sink when they visit.  At first I thought it was a little crazy, but I think they end up using most of what she brings.  She is always well prepared and there have been many times when we are all together and we needed to use something that she had because I forgot something. 

There are times when I think to myself:  I can't wait to have a full day where I only have to worry about myself, not anyone else, I can read, watch TV, nap, eat (without someone mooching off my plate), and not worry about a darn thing that needs to be done.  Then I think, how boring would that be?  I am definitely one of those people who thrives on being busy.  I am more organized and a clearer thinker when I am busy.  It's when things slow down and I actually have 10 minutes to myself that I feel so "lost."    So I will continue multi-tasking.  A few weeks ago, I mastered playing a game with my four year old, cooking lunch, baking cookies and washing dishes.  So what if the grilled cheese got a "little done" we all survived and I felt SO accomplished! 

"Did you see that?"

Ah, life without cable. It has been interesting to say the least. Years from now, when I look back at this post I'll probably say to myself, "What!? You gave up cable?" In all honesty, I don't really miss it. In a way, it has been liberating!

No longer do we stress because our DVR is getting full and we need to watch some shows. Nor do I have to worry that my DVR is set correctly to record a series (we rarely watch TV while the kids are up, so we used to spend our evenings watching DVR'd shows). I'm still a little surprised that Justin agreed to get rid of cable. I hounded him for a number of months before we actually went through with it, but in my mind spending $70+ a month for something we rarely used was crazy. 

Thus far, the hardest season has been college football. We do miss being able to watch the Hawkeyes on TV, but had to get used to listening to the game on the radio. Justin did watch the bowl game at a local bar, which hopefully made up for him not being able to see any other games on TV.   New Years Day is usually a day of munching on food and watching football games-not this year! Instead, we spent the day as we would any other weekend day: Playing with the little ones, snacking, napping, more playing...

Of course I miss some of the silly shows I used to watch: Sister Wives, Teen Mom, The Next Food Network Star, Ax Men, Chopped...in fact, I don't think there was a single show on regular channels we used to DVR. Now, we have no choice, but to watch these channels.  Some of the shows we try to watch now are:  Grey's Anatomy, Parenthood, The Voice and The Amazing Race. Luckily, most of these are on after the little ones are in bed, but there are many instances where we may miss an episode.

Many people subscribe to Netflix, picking out movies online that are sent to you.  You watch them at your leisure, pop them in the mail when you are done, and have more shipped out.  This is really a great option for those who don't have cable and give you something different to watch.  Plus, you don't have to leave your house!  Justin and I have never been movie people-in fact, if I had 2 hours to kill, I wouldn't want to spend it watching a move.  I'd rather read a new book, go for a run or bake something.  So, Netflix wouldn't be a good choice for us.  Many TV shows are available online now, and I'm sure there will be times where we will want to catch up on a TV series by watching on our IPADs. 

Just another sacrifice; but I honestly don't see a need to get cable for a long time.  This past Sunday, I enjoyed the Iowa Realty Home Show during my run :).  Gave me some good idea for our next home!