Librarian's daughter

BETH (After hours of playing with new toys that light up, ring bells, and sing loud songs): "Mommy, I think I just need to read a quiet book, now".

Endless Toddler Tunes

I enjoy music by Raffi, the perennial children's favorite. Really, I do.

However, five consecutive hours of listening to this jolly man sing his favorite tunes is enough to make even the most cheerful parent beg for mercy.

This week we took a road trip to visit Grandma and Pop. As we headed onto the highway to begin our trek, Amy begged to hear her favorite CD, a Raffi collection that we received many years ago from Uncle John. We happily popped the CD into the stereo, and sang along to the 16 wonderful songs. We laughed when we noticed that Amy was loudly singing "she looks like a cigarette...dum de dum!" instead of "She looks like a sugar in a plum, plum, plum!". After he finished his repertoire and the CD began again at song number 1, I hit "eject" and reached for another tape.

Amy began to shriek. "No, no! I want to hear it again!"

Well, why not. All the girls were happy and content, so Dan and I allowed them to hear it through once more. We stopped for lunch, and when we returned to the van we changed the tape to another children's music collection. Wails arouse from both Beth and Amy, as they pleaded for us to return their favorite music to the player.

Dan and I gritted our teeth and put good 'ole Raffi in once again. And again. And again.

You see, listening to "Eight piggies in a row" and "There's a little white duck" over and over and over is far preferable to hearing hysterical children crying, especially when you are captive in a van for five hours. So listen we did, until we knew each song by heart, and could predict which song would come next. We finally arrived at Grandma and Pop's, and the girls then convinced us to bring the CD into the house. After all the greetings were exchanged and some gifts were opened, we once again heard the sounds of Raffi singing "Let's make some noise!". We went to bed that night with his voice in our ears.

We had a few Raffi-free days, while we visited with the family, and then today we headed back into the van for the return trip.

I bet you'll never guess who sang to us the entire ride home. Oh, yes. Raffi. The entire...ride...home.

But were the girls happy? Yes, they were.

So were the parents happy? Yes, they were.

Thanks, Raffi.

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas, full of peace and joy.

Christmas gifts

The girls and I finished shopping for Daddy's gifts last week, but today, while doing some last-minute errands at a local drugstore, Beth saw some holiday ties mixed in with the wrapping paper, tape and ribbons. She grabbed one, and begged me to let her buy it for Daddy. I gently put the tie back in the pile and explained to her that we were all done buying presents for Daddy. She pleaded again and again, and then finally she said, "But Mommy. Just think how HANDSOME Daddy will look in this tie. Please, can we get it? Please?

I relented. We purchased the bright red tie with dancing reindeer, and I supressed my smiles as I tried to picture Dan dressed up in this particular tie. Beth was so pleased with herself, and so proud. She chatted the whole way home, telling me all about how she would wrap the gift all by herself, and then tie a beautiful ribbon around the present. She told us that she couldn't wait for Christmas to arrive.

Fast forward to dinnertime, when Amy happily announced to Dan that, "Beth got you the coolest tie today!!" I quickly tried to quiet her down, and she immediately realized what she had done. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she ran into the playroom to hide. I followed her and picked her up to cuddle her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tell him. It's just such a great tie", she explained. I assured her that it would be fine, and that Daddy would forget all about it by Christmas. She seemed relieved to think that no harm had been done by her outburst and soon returned to the table.

This is what makes Christmas such a special time. Even little preschool girls, who are so excited about Santa's arrival, and the promise of presents for them under the tree, are able to step outside of themselves and focus on someone else's happiness.

There certainly is too much materialism focused around the Christmas holiday, but it's also a wonderful time to think about the people that surround us. What might make them happy? What might make them smile?

I know what will make Dan feel very happy and much-loved this year. It's a red drugstore tie covered with dancing reindeer. He will look very handsome, indeed.

Back Seat Drivers

I have a little secret to tell all of you.

Last week, while backing out of the garage (slightly more quickly than I probably should have been), I somehow came a wee bit too close to the side of the garage door. We heard a terrific crash, followed by the sound of breaking glass, followed by the sound of Erin verbalizing her favorite phrase, "Uh Oh". I quickly put the still-very-new van into park, and ran around to see what had happened. The side-view mirror was torn off the car, and pieces of broken glass and plastic lay strewn around the driveway.

The girls were fascinated. "Did you crash the car, Mommy? Did we have a crash? Wow, wait until Daddy sees this! Woah, Daddy won't believe it. Will the police come? Maybe we should call the police. Did you call the police, Mommy?"

After quickly securing the flopping remnants of the mirror to the car with some masking tape (the only tape I could find in Dan's workbench) we headed back out to drop Beth off at school. After returning to the house later that morning I immediately called the garage to see if they could fix it. Two days and $100 later it was as good as new.

But now, I am blessed with two little backseat drivers that watch my every move. I now back out of the garage to the tune of "Oooh, watch out, Mommy. Do you see that the door is really close? Slow down, now. Oh, yeah! You did it, Mommy! You didn't crash the car this time!"

And as we drive down the street... "Mommy, are we going too fast? Check that clock near the steering wheel, Mommy. I think it will say that we're going too fast. Oops, watch out for that big tree on the sidewalk there. We don't want to hit that other mirror up there."

I think that I will have to put up with this for quite some time. They don't seem to be easing up at all with their commentaries.

That's okay. Only 12 more years until Beth gets behind the wheel. Then, it will be my turn to be the backseat driver.

Ulterior Motive

BETH: Mommy, McDonald's has a new kind of coffee. It's really creamy smooth. It's different from their old coffee, and I think you really, really should try it. I'm only telling you because I think you'd really like it if you try it. Smooth and creamy. That's what they said on the commercial. Would tonight be a great night for you to try it and see if you like it? I think tonight would be a really great night for us to go to McDonald's so you can try it.

Sunny Days

Amy loves to draw. She can spend a full hour sitting at her craft table, producing creation after creation, using only construction paper and a few crayons. After she completes each masterpiece, she runs over to show me what she has made. Usually she draws people, so each showing is accompanied by a long, detailed description of the people she has colored. "Here's me when I'm a grownup, and I still have blond curls, only they're now a lot longer. And here's you and Daddy with Erin, when she was only a tiny baby, and here's Beth going to school".

One thing I have noticed. Each and every picture depicts a large, yellow sun at the top of the page, with long orange rays shooting out into the sky. There are never any cloudy days in her drawings.

Today I asked her about this. Why did she always draw sunshine into her pictures?

"Because sunshine makes me happy", she answered simply.

Isn't it wonderful how little children can take the time to notice and appreciate something that we adults just take for granted? If you were to stop right now, and draw a picture of yourself, would you remember to draw some sunshine?

Thanks to Amy, I would.

Worth the trip

Taking three little girls to a Baptism can be somewhat tricky. We've had quite a bit of experience with this lately, since we have welcomed many new nieces and nephews over the past year. Erin finds such events to be the perfect opportunity to work on her developing vocabulary, and she is particularly entranced by the echoing noise her voice makes if she calls out her new words very loudly. Amy often manages to slip from the kneeler and crash her head or chin into the pew in front of her, resulting in piercing screams at what should be a quiet, peaceful moment of reflection.

Yesterday, I discovered that it is possible to make such an adventure even slightly more challenging, by utilizing the following steps.

1. Pack the three girls into the van and travel five hours to the Christening.

2. Attend the Baptism and enjoy the post-party.

3. Return to the van and travel another five hours back home.

4. Do all of the above in one day because unfortunately you have to work the next morning.


But the reward for such an undertaking?

Being able to witness first hand as our beautiful niece received the gift of God's grace, and was welcomed into the Church.

Well worth the trip.

Congratulations, Ella Rose. We love you.

What's That Tune?!

AMY: Mommy, you know that song "Have A Holly Jolly Christmas"? Well, there's no radio on right now, and I still hear that song in my ears...over and over and over again. Is that because I just heard it too many times, and now it's stuck?

Empty arms

Erin has been very, very fussy for the past few days. I haven't yet figured out whether she is teething, coming down with a cold, or just sensing the hectic nature of the season, but for whatever reason, she is insisting on being held, carried and cuddled for most of the day. As a result, I have discovered that it is quite possible to accomplish many tasks, while also lugging a 21.5 pound toddler around on your hip.

For example, you can actually vacuum an entire house in this manner. In case you're wondering, the trick is to entice your 4-year-old (via small bribes) to push the vacuum around behind you while you try to aim the hose at the crumbs that cover the kitchen floor.

Even more amazing, it is also possible to walk the entire way home from preschool (1.1 miles) while carrying the toddler and also pushing the double stroller. Again, here are some small tips. First, you must encourage the 3 year old to get out of the stroller, because it is pretty much impossible to push her weight with one hand. Then, the older two girls must help you to steer the stroller while you push. Otherwise it will constantly veer off to the side of the road. Admittedly, your arms will be shaking when you finally arrive home, but it is actually a time-saving activity, as there will be no need to visit the gym in the evening.

Doing dishes is a bit more tricky. If they just require quick rinsing before being put into the dishwasher then you may be able to complete this task, but for pots and pans that require full scrubbing, you must simply wash them as quickly as possible, while trying to ignore the sobbing baby that is clinging to your legs.

Then, when the baby finally goes off to bed at night, you can take a couple of advil to help with your aching muscles, and then collapse into bed. But then, instead of rejoicing at your new-found freedom, you will realize that your arms feel empty. Much too empty.

You better not cry, you better not pout...

Four years ago, for Beth's first Christmas, we took a trip to the local mall to visit Santa. We went with my sister-in-law, Audrey, and my newborn nephew. We happily placed the two babies on Santa's lap, where they sat without complaint while their photograph was snapped. Audrey and I split the cost of the outrageously overpriced photo package, and I still have that picture in our album. The babies were so innocent and adorable. And thus began an annual tradition.

The event has become somewhat more complicated by the fact that we have each welcomed two more children over the last few years, so today we trotted up to Santa's chair with our six little angels, and watched Santa's face turn from jolly-and-happy to disbelieving-and-concerned.

"All six of them?", he asked.

The staff turned out to be quite patient and accomodating, while we desperately tried to find a way for Santa to hold onto six squirming children, two of whom had absolutely no desire to be part of this craziness. The two middle girls (3 years old and "almost 3 years old") plopped themselves front and center, one on each knee, and they refused to budge. Erin absolutely refused to be held by this large, strangely-dressed man, so the photographer provided me with a chair, which he placed right next to Santa. "Just sit way back, hold the baby up close to Santa, and we'll crop you out with the border", he told me.

Sounded good to me. Audrey precariously placed her littlest son onto Santa's lap, where he promptly started to cry. Then she stepped back and attempted to make all six children look at the camera at the same time, which was no easy feat. By the time we stepped down from the platform I think the grown-ups were exhausted, but the older children were enjoying themselves immensely.

We actually have a somewhat decent picture to show for our efforts this year. I am not quite as "cropped out" of the photo as I would have liked, but all the children are looking straight ahead, and only one child is crying this year. (We have one picture, from 2004, in which all four children look quite miserable).

After a potty accident by someone-who-will-remain-nameless, we headed off to celebrate with some pizza. We then collapsed into the van, where the younger two girls fell fast asleep on the way home, Amy clutching the coloring book that Santa had given her.

Beth was quiet for most of the ride home. As we turned off the highway and headed toward our house, she called up from her seat in the back of the van. "That sure was fun, Mommy. I'm going to keep that picture of us sitting on Santa's lap forever".

Me too, Beth.

The best Christmas tree ever

Today we took the girls to a nearby farm to pick out our Christmas tree. Beth and Amy immediately began running around frantically trying to find the "perfect tree", and they agreed upon one within five minutes. As luck would have it, Mr. Claus himself arrived at the farm just as they were cutting our tree and loading it onto our car, so we stepped inside for a storytime and a visit with Santa. Amy in particular was in awe of the whole scene, and we drove home with three very happy little girls.

We spent the afternoon decorating the tree, with Christmas carols playing in the background. Each ornament that came out of the box has a story to go along with it, and we had so much fun reminiscing with the girls. They just can't understand why the ornaments from 1996 say "Dan and Ellen", instead of "Daddy and Mommy". It's unimaginable to them that there was ever a time when they were not around to help trim the tree.

Those Christmases back before Beth was born were wonderful. Dan and I enjoyed exchanging gifts and picking out a Christmas tree, but we didn't realize how much more fun it could really be with little ones around to share in the Christmas activities. It truly is a magical time of year for them. But these girls also remind us every day about the real meaning of Christmas. They honestly find Jesus' birth just as intriguing as the arrival of Santa, and they pepper us with questions about the stable, the wisemen, and who Jesus really is.

Hopefully you are lucky enough to have someone around to remind you of what we are really celebrating on December 25th. And I hope that you are enjoying the wonder of the season as much as we are here.

Run, Run As Fast As You Can...

Today was all about gingerbread. Beth made a "gingerbread house" at school today, and already the little home has been completely stripped of all its candy. I must admit, though, that Beth was excellent about sharing the treats with her sisters. Erin was absolutely thrilled to be given a graham cracker covered in frosting "glue". Needless to say, she did not nap very well this afternoon, thanks to all the sugar.

And then there was the small matter of baking gingerbread men. Because of their fascination with the story of the little gingerbread boy running away from the little old lady and the little old man, they have been eagerly anticipating this day. Amy and I made the dough this morning while Beth was at school, and it was no easy task. This three-year-old stage of "I'll do it MYSELF" does not lend itself well to stirring flour and molasses. I actually needed to give Amy a bath before we could head back to the school to pick up Beth.

This afternoon was the fun part. The girls just loved rolling out the dough and decorating the little men (and women!) with frosting. It was an activity that took up a huge part of our day, but it was well-worth it. They ran around the house with their cookies, screaming "you can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!" for a long, long time. But the best part about all this excitement?

They went to bed early.

Poor Nana

Today Amy and I read over the recipe we plan to use for making gingerbread men this week. I was about to explain what a sifter was used for, but Amy stopped me before I could get very far.

"I know what a sifter is", she told me. "Nana has one, and we used it when we made frosting with her. Poor Nana, though. She isn't able to do it by herself. She kept saying, 'Okay, Amy. I need your help with this sifter.' Sometimes she had to ask Beth for help, too. I'm not sure what she does when we're not there".

Cold-weather Gear

Here's little Erin, all bundled up to play in the snow. Right about now she's thinking, "How am I supposed to WALK in all these clothes?!"

All Mixed Up

AMY (as she sat at the kitchen table eating her lunch): Mommy, do you think it's okay that I ate that lollipop at the library party a little while ago? Because I think my stomach is backwards, now. My lunch is sitting on top of the lollipop, and I think the lollipop is supposed to be sitting on top of my lunch.

First Snowfall

This morning I awoke to see the first snowflakes of the season. After a few quiet minutes with a hot cup of coffee, I heard Erin's "good morning" babbles coming from her room. I went in and greeted her as usual, and laughed while she jumped around like a monkey in her crib. Then, I pulled up the shade and watched her stop short and stare out the window, frozen in place. Her little hand reached up, finger extended, as she pointed out the strange phenomen outside her window. Of course she can't remember last winter, so this was a whole new world for her. I picked her up and we sat by the window, cozy and warm, gazing at the transformation taking place in our yard.

After a bit, I heard Amy and Beth waking up in their room. Erin and I ran in, and again I pulled up the shade. Beth jumped out of bed with a shout, "It's snowing! It's snowing!" Her memories are filled with snow angels, sledding, snowballs and all sorts of winter fun. Amy was a little more hesitant.

"I remember snow", she told me. But she stared doubtfully out the window at the falling flakes, and then slowly backed away.

Throughout breakfast, Amy watched the snow with a concerned look. "It's getting on my swings", she worried. "It's on the deck, it's on the grass...how will we get it off the fence? How will we ever clean this up?" I reassured her as best I could, but she continued to feel somewhat anxious.

But when we put on our coats, hats and mittens and headed outside to play for a bit, she finally relaxed. She ran and jumped, and made snowballs and snow angels. She even tried to make a snowman, but with less than an inch of accumulation that proved to be somewhat difficult. We finished up our morning with cups of hot chocolate at the kitchen table, and Amy again looked out the window.

"This is the best day ever", she told me. "I love snow. NOW I remember that snow is really, really, really fun. This is much better than swimming, in the summertime".

Let's see if she's still saying that in late March...

Christmas is...

... Listening to the girls squealing with joy while they open each box of Chrismas decorations, finding new treasures and old memories.

... watching Erin dance and sway to Christmas carols, clapping her little hands and singing "ahhh...!"

... carefully unwrapping each piece of the nativity set, and hearing the girls' happy shrieks when they finally found baby Jesus.

... bundling the girls up into their warmest coats, mittens and hats, and taking an evening trip to see some Christmas lights nearby.

...cuddling up in front of the fireplace to watch "Rudolph" and "Frosty The Snowman", while sharing a big bowl of buttered popcorn.

...writing letters to Santa and dreaming of new toys for good little girls and boys.

...feeling a little bit anxious about the Chrismas cards that are still not ready from the photographer, and then realizing that it really isn't all that important anyway.

...pulling into our driveway after the trip to view the lights, and taking a minute to look at the lights on our own house... then saying to the car-load of girls, "it looks like this house is all ready for Christmas"...and hearing Amy respond, "It sure is. Because Jesus is in our manger".

Pacifier update

I knew there had to be a catch.

Amy made it through the night binkie-free, although she was up very, very early this morning. By lunchtime she was exhausted, I was exhausted, and even Beth was getting tired of the constant whining. Thankfully, the glorious 1:00pm naptime awaited us.

"If I'm too big for a mimi, then I'm too big for naps", Amy informed me after lunch. "No more naps".

Now, where did I hide that one last pacifier? I'm definitely going to hang onto it for a little bit longer.