7 Quick Takes (vol. 35)

--- 1 ---

Whoops! Better late than never, right? I finally added the video of Michael reading to Liam to Thursday's post.

--- 2 ---

I meant to post yesterday, I really really did. I felt a bit like Cinderella yesterday--I had all this work I needed to get done before I could go to the ball. Okay, not really a ball; it was the Biblical School's annual fundraiser gala. But an evening out with Alex without the boys! Might as well be a ball :) And I got to go even though I didn't quite complete everything on my (rather detailed and extensive) to-do list (but it was close!). Laundry, baking, cleaning... it's a good thing I didn't have to sew my own dress before going out last night, because instead of very helpful and creative mice to do my tasks for me I had two overtired, rather clingy little "helpers" following me around all day.

I also meant to get a picture of Alex and me all dressed up for our (probably) last date night for a while, but I totally forgot. I assure you that he was absolutely dashing, as usual, and as long as I didn't look in a mirror I didn't feel absolutely huge. Comments garnered by my 9-month-preggo belly for the evening ranged from "You're due in a week and a half? Oh, you have some time then" (what is that supposed to mean? time for what?) to "You're due in a week and a half? What are you doing here tonight?!" (to which I replied that there was a hospital just down the street, so we were just fine). And only one person commented on my indulgence in a single overpriced but much needed (and thoroughly enjoyed) glass of white zin.

--- 3 ---

So I'm slightly ashamed for falling off the 7 posts in 7 days bandwagon... but mostly I'm just thankful that skipping a day of promised posting when I'm less than two weeks away from my due date didn't earn me a multitude of texts, emails, Facebook messages, etc. demanding to know if I was in labor. It probably just goes to show that no one was paying that close of attention, but I'll take it. "So have you had that baby yet?" messages are not my favorite... I'm always tempted to answer "Yep, but I wasn't going to tell you" and leave it at that.

--- 4 ---

Speaking of things people say to pregnant people, I've gotten off pretty easy this time around (or maybe I'm just developing a thicker skin, or something along those lines). However, after Mass last Sunday an older gentleman did stop to comment that I had "a nice big watermelon there." He was very good natured and also told us "We did the same thing. Good for you!" for having three so close together. So I wasn't exactly insulted but... really? A watermelon?

--- 5 ---

Regardless of when John Paul decides to grace us with his ex-utero presence, I am officially on maternity leave now. No more two hour roundtrip commutes three times a week! Hooray! I am thoroughly looking forward to this break, and intend to take as many naps as possible, especially while there are only two children to convince to sleep simultaneously (starting with a wonderful nap today--a promising beginning).

--- 6 ---

Maternity leave means I also have more time to watch this child exercise his newly discovered climbing skills and try to keep him from diving head first off of anything. I want to be thrilled with excellent gross motor skill development, really I do. But I would've been just fine if he wanted to wait another couple months to start climbing everything.

--- 7 ---

On the subject of newly developing skills, Michael and Liam have been playing really well together recently. M does a fairly good job of sharing (you know, for a three year old) with his cousins and friends his age, but now that Liam is big enough to be interested in most of the same toys and to do something about it? We had a couple weeks with screaming as the constant soundtrack to our day: Michael screaming because Liam grabbed a toy he was playing with (or had played with earlier, or thought he might want to play with later, or had recently looked at, or whatever), Liam screaming when Michael took the toy back, Michael screaming louder when Liam bit him after he took his toy back (only happened once so far... fingers crossed that it can be blamed on teething and won't become a habit), Liam screaming because Michael was screaming, etc. But for the last week or so there has been a noticeable decrease in the screaming. It's still there, but M is making strides in using his words to express his displeasure when Liam steals a toy and he at least occasionally remembers that Liam can be very easily distracted with a different toy--and that this is a much more effective tactic than melting into a puddle of screaming on the floor.

Go see Jen and the rest for quicker and timelier takes!!!  

Just in time...

So, my boys love books. I love that my boys love books. I love reading to my boys... mostly. I mean, I love the idea of reading to them, and I love a lot of children's books, and I love that they want me to read to them... but I don't love all the books all the time. When Michael was about Liam's age I started hiding "Going On a Bear Hunt" from him because I was tired of reading it. If only we could go back to that... now I just find myself wishing that Liam would irreparably destroy some of the longer Thomas stories (which we bought! why did we think that was a good idea?!). But I digress...

For Christmas, Liam received four Llama Llama board books. 

I'm a fan of Llama Llama--short, nice rhythm, short, etc. But in the last few weeks Liam has grown so attached to these books that he will throw an outright tantrum if I so much as hesitate to start reading one as soon as he brings it over to me.  

I thought it would be an excellent teaching moment to work on his signs for "please" and "more," but apparently we need to find a less emotionally volatile situation to work on using our words.

And in case you were wondering, the tantrums apply equally to the first and twentieth readings. In a row. He will demand the book again as soon as I finish. And again. You get the picture.

Cue the big brother. Michael has long been in the habit of reciting books along with us while we read them. Some he knows really well--and I think it's fun to just stop in the middle of sentences and let him finish them (lazy mom, or early homeschooling? You decide). Some he doesn't know at all, but he'll still kind of mumble something along as I'm reading... maybe out of habit? Who knows.

The other day I got creative in avoiding zippity-zooming my way through Llama Llama for the umpteenth time, and asked Michael to read it to Liam. He happily obliged, and then kept looking for other books to "read" to Liam. 

Eldest child can read favorite books to middle child just in time for birth of youngest child? Yes please! Oh I am SO thrilled with this. Please don't let the novelty wear off too quickly for either Michael or Liam...

Bedtime Biology Lessons, and Other Conversations

M has been wearing this "hat" pretty much non stop for a week now

M: When John Paul comes out, then what baby you have in your tummy?
Ash: Um, no babies. That's kind of the point. At least for a while!
upon reflection I realized I have been pregnant for half of his life, and for 18+ of the last 24 months... so yeah, I guess it would seem like the status quo for him

playing with the dregs of his cereal
M: Look Mama, I'm stirring this into bread! Just like you!
(yep, if I'm mixing something in a bowl bread is a good guess!)

while I'm on my way out the door to teach a class
M: Bye! Have a good class! I love you! Be careful! There's a lot of bumps outside, you better be careful of the bumps!

at bedtime tonight, after songs when he is supposed to be cuddling quietly
M: Mama, snuggle me on my bed.
Ash: I can't lie on your bed right now, John Paul is in the way. Soon I'll be able to lie on your bed again.
M: When John Paul gets out?
Ash: Yes, when John Paul gets out.
M: after thinking for a moment Who's in Daddy's tummy?
Ash: Daddy doesn't have anyone in his tummy.
M: Not big boys, but little boys?
Ash: No, boys can't have babies in their tummies. Only mamas have babies in their tummies.
M: Who's in Grandma's tummy?
Ash: Grandma doesn't have a baby in her tummy.
M: Who's in Dene's tummy?
Ash: Can you tell me?
M: No you tell me.
Ash: Baby Rosser is in Dene's tummy!
M: in his most incredulous tone Baby Rosser?! And who's in your tummy?
Ash: You know who's in my tummy!
M: No you know.
Ash: John Paul is in my tummy.
M: in the same incredulous tone John Paul?!
Ash: Okay Michael, it's time to be quiet and go to sleep now.
M: And who's in trains?
Ash: Goodnight Michael.

Liam would like you to know that he says things every bit as clever/funny/ridiculous as Michael does,
and it is not his fault that no one understands him beyond "Da!" and "Toh!"

Because I am a dutiful wife...

Alex told me the other day that his only complaint about my blog is that I don't post enough pictures of myself.

So. Because I am a dutiful wife who does what she is told, and because I have not posted any bump pictures this pregnancy, I present to you a blurry phone selfie:

Yeah... not the best. But I had to take advantage of a mirror large enough for the purpose which did not reflect a huge mess of my own making (which has ruled out all mirrors at home for the last couple months).

I much prefer this one from Christmas:

Baby at 29 weeks = so much more flattering (and comfortable!) than baby at 37 weeks!  Also, I feel like this picture does a good job of communicating our family life right now.  Busy toddler, goofy preschooler, lots of work, lots of joy.

Attention Deficit Nesting

So, Jen is hosting another 7 posts in 7 days challenge.  I had a lot of fun doing this last year, but I also wasn't bumping (get it?) up against my due date while trying to write a post every day last year.  But I figure I have at least 7 pictures/videos/stories of the boys that I've been meaning to post, so if all else fails I can just throw up a picture or a couple Michael quotes each day and call it good.

Since pregnancy has been a leetle all-consuming lately (am I going into labor? was that a real contraction? this is my 3rd baby, why am I still asking these questions? why haven't I packed my hospital bag? why don't the boys have any clean clothes to pack in their overnight bag?), I'll start the week off with a confession: I suffer from Attention Deficit Nesting (ADN).  Allow me to demonstrate (with pictures from last weekend... because I intended to write this post 9 days ago... but... ADN. So there.)

This is what I initially saw and intended to deal with when we got home from getting groceries.

Not pictured: a floor in desperate need of sweeping and mopping, and groceries needing to be put away.

This also needed immediate attention: homework to grade for all three of my Biblical School classes, as well as midterm quizzes to grade for two of classes, as well as lectures to be planned for the upcoming week.  All of which needed to be completed ASAP because my sister was arriving the following day for a quick visit and I didn't want to waste any of my precious time with her grading homework!

Also crying out for attention: clean laundry to be folded.

Not pictured: piles of dirty laundry on my bedroom floor waiting to be washed.

Also not pictured: three bathrooms in rather desperate need of cleaning (you're welcome).

What I decided to do first: organize the spice cupboard.  Why?  I don't know.  I had been meaning to organize it ever since I unpacked the spices and tossed them in there rather haphazardly when we moved in.  Was it pretty?  Not particularly.  Was it functional?  Absolutely.  Was the reorg necessary?  Absolutely not.  But wow did it feel nice to have an organized spice cupboard when I was done.

And then I cleaned the kitchen.  And I did clean the bathrooms, too (before Dene' arrived, don't worry).  And the laundry got folded (eventually).  And the grading got done (more or less on time).

And now I am operating off a very long and detailed to-do list of everything I can think of that needs to happen (or should happen, or I want to happen) before John Paul arrives.  And by the grace of God and with a lot of help from Alex I am somehow crossing things off the list slightly faster than I am adding to it.  Hooray!

Okay, tune in tomorrow for... something.