Remember those old Encyclopedia Brown mysteries that were popular when we were kids? Yesterday I became a sleuth like that boy detective. I figured out The Case of the Pee Pee Diaper.
The boys and I had a pretty good day yesterday. They took a long nap and woke up in a relatively good mood. I got them out of their cribs and managed to change their diapers before giving them a snack. Neither one of them put up much of a fuss getting his diaper changed.
We had a snack of yogurt and graham crackers. Aaron was supsicious of the yogurt and only wanted it after I ate some. I guess he thinks he's a king and I'm his beefeater who tests for poison. Jeff enjoyed his yogurt and got it all over his face and giggled in the usual Jeff fashion.
I asked the boys if they wanted me to set up their new toy - a big canvas bus - so they could run through it and pretend to drive. They nodded yes. Jeff grabbed a knob on a kitchen drawer like a steering wheel and pretended to drive by spinning the wheel. Adorable!
The boys ran through the bus, played the keyboard and threw some balls around the house for a while. I spent a few minutes checking emails on my phone, cleaning up the dishes from snack and putting away some toys.
Then I saw it. A diaper in the middle of the hallway.
Hmmm...what is going on? I had no idea how this diaper had suddenly appeared. I assumed one of the boys had pulled a clean diaper from a drawer and thrown it on the ground. When I picked it up I noticed that the diaper was filled with pee. I was so confused what had happened. Maybe it was from the lack of sleep. (Thanks to a sleepless boy *cough-Aaron-cough* I didn't get to bed utnil after 1:00 a.m. and I was up at 4:45 a.m.)
I threw away the diaper and didn't think much of it.
A little while later Jeff found a new game. He took one of his chairs and put a sippy cup filled with water on the chair. He would then tilt the chair to a side and watch the cup roll off and fall to the ground. This game, apparently, is fascinating to an 18 month old. It's also fascinating for an 18 month old to watch. So fascinating, in fact, that Aaron, after watching for a few minutes, had to join in. Aaron grabbed a chair and a sippy cup and started doing the same thing.
Sippy cups are pretty good about not spilling, but if the cup falls on the floor over and over again the stopper will come out. Jeff's stopper came out first and water spilled all over the floor. A minute or two later Aaron's stopper came out. I noticed that because his little, light grey sweatpants had a streak of wetness down one leg. Since there was only about an hour until pajama time it wasn't worth fighting him to change pants especially because this game was making him so happy.
We ate dinner a little late. Aaron and Jeff tried orzo for the first time. Jeff dug in and Aaron was suspicious for a while of this newfangled food. Aaron enjoyed the cheese on the orzo and eventually realized it was fun to mix his peas with his cheesey orzo. By the end of dinner there was nothing left in his bowl. Everything got into his tummy or had fallen into his lap.
Now, fellow sleuths, see if you can figure out what happened before continuing to read.
At about 6:30 it was time to change into pajamas. I changed Jeff first and put him into cute pirate pajamas and tried to teach him the sign for "pirate." When that was done I grabbed Aaron and pulled off his pants only to be surprised he had no diaper!!!
I believe Aaron managed to pull at the tape of his diaper enough to loosen or unfasten it. He then must have pulled the front part of diaper so hard that he got it through his legs and off his body. The wet streak on his right pant leg wasn't water from the sippy cup...it was pee. His right sock was wet too. Ugh!
After a quick "bath" with a few wipes he was good as new and wearing my favorite cowboy pajamas. This time, however, I made sure that the diaper tabs were on securely and the pajama pants were pulled up enough to cover the diaper completely. I wasn't going to take any chances.
After going through surrogacy and having twins, this is the story of my life after fulfilling my dream to become a father.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Too Many Pictures
I wrote about all my pictures a while ago and after just 18 months I have too many pictures. My dream of having actual photographs for my kids to touch has just not come true. I have learned that Shutterfly is much faster, easier, and more practical than my lofty dream of beautiful photo albums with pictures I have printed and lovingly arranged in an album. Plus, Shutterfly books will probably last longer. My photo albums from 30 years ago are all faded and the pictures don't stick becasue the glue has dried. Hopefully I'll have a few special albums with actual pictures, but I think Shutterfly will be seeing a lot of my money over the years.
Also, I finally gave up and decided to just post my videos online. My goal was to find a way to load them onto a DVD and make a keepsake for my kids. Once again, reality took over and the internet won. At least now my family and friends can see the videos any time they want.
However, if anyone has a good method for keeping track of pictures and videos and not getting overwhelmed by them please, please, please share them with me. I'd love to have a good system. Thank goodness for Shutterfly and YouTube apps on phones...but other options would be appreciated.
I don't share a ton of pictures on this blog, but since this posting is about pictures and videos, I'll share a few of my favorites over the last 18 months. You know how families have some iconic photos that everyone knows? Well, here are some of the "famous" or "infamous" pictures in no particular order...
Also, I finally gave up and decided to just post my videos online. My goal was to find a way to load them onto a DVD and make a keepsake for my kids. Once again, reality took over and the internet won. At least now my family and friends can see the videos any time they want.
However, if anyone has a good method for keeping track of pictures and videos and not getting overwhelmed by them please, please, please share them with me. I'd love to have a good system. Thank goodness for Shutterfly and YouTube apps on phones...but other options would be appreciated.
I don't share a ton of pictures on this blog, but since this posting is about pictures and videos, I'll share a few of my favorites over the last 18 months. You know how families have some iconic photos that everyone knows? Well, here are some of the "famous" or "infamous" pictures in no particular order...
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Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Playground Culture
Aaron and Jeff are now old enough to go to the playground and enjoy more and more of the equipment. We've been going to the park for a while and they can do more than just sit in the swing. While we were in New York we went to the park once or even twice a day. I have to talk a little bit about what I call "Playground Culture."
I am a little saddened by some of the encounters I have had on the playground. My boys are only 18 months old and don't understand what they can and can't touch. Sometimes they look at another child's toy and point to it or try to touch it. On many occassions a young child yells "No! That's MINE!" I tell the boys that the toy isn't ours and explain to the older kids that my children are little and don't understand. The other kids sometimes give me a dirty look or run away to get away from my kids.
I know that children at the playground often don't want to share their toys with strangers. I get it. That's part of their development. What makes me sad is that their parents don't ever step in and tell the child not to yell at an 18 month old for just looking at their toy. I feel like that's a good time to teach kids it's OK to share and to be nice to kids who are younger.
In Chicago we did meet a wonderful mom and her daughter who was probably about two or three years old. My kids were fascinated by a little pail and shovel and the mom let my kids use the toys. She even walked away to play in another area of the playground and trusted us with her toys. In New York my boys were playing on a playground when a four and a half year old came along who was patient as my kids hesitated at the top of a big slide. The little boy waited, patiently, while my boys decided if they could conquer the twisty slide and was careful as he ran by them on the bridges. I got to talking with his mother and told her how respectful he was playing around two little boys.
As my kids grow up and become the bigger, rowdier, wilder kids I hope that I teach them to be kind to babies, share their toys with other children, and apologize if they mistreat someone. I can't expect them to be perfect all of the time, but I can try to teach them some lessons while on the playground.
I am a little saddened by some of the encounters I have had on the playground. My boys are only 18 months old and don't understand what they can and can't touch. Sometimes they look at another child's toy and point to it or try to touch it. On many occassions a young child yells "No! That's MINE!" I tell the boys that the toy isn't ours and explain to the older kids that my children are little and don't understand. The other kids sometimes give me a dirty look or run away to get away from my kids.
I know that children at the playground often don't want to share their toys with strangers. I get it. That's part of their development. What makes me sad is that their parents don't ever step in and tell the child not to yell at an 18 month old for just looking at their toy. I feel like that's a good time to teach kids it's OK to share and to be nice to kids who are younger.
In Chicago we did meet a wonderful mom and her daughter who was probably about two or three years old. My kids were fascinated by a little pail and shovel and the mom let my kids use the toys. She even walked away to play in another area of the playground and trusted us with her toys. In New York my boys were playing on a playground when a four and a half year old came along who was patient as my kids hesitated at the top of a big slide. The little boy waited, patiently, while my boys decided if they could conquer the twisty slide and was careful as he ran by them on the bridges. I got to talking with his mother and told her how respectful he was playing around two little boys.
As my kids grow up and become the bigger, rowdier, wilder kids I hope that I teach them to be kind to babies, share their toys with other children, and apologize if they mistreat someone. I can't expect them to be perfect all of the time, but I can try to teach them some lessons while on the playground.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Pacifiers
Derek, Jeff, Aaron and I recently flew to the east coast to visit my family. This was the boys' second plane ride. I never wrote about the first one because it was during the holidays and life was so crazy so let me take you back to a simpler time, nine months ago, before the boys were mobile.
The first plane trip was to the west coast for Christmas. The boys were about nine months old. Traveling with them was a lot of work just due to the fact that we had blankets, diapers, formula, bottles, strollers, car seats, extra clothes, pacifiers, toys, snacks, etc. Nevertheless, the flights went pretty smoothly. Both boys slept a good deal of the time, pooped/peed a little (changing a diaper in an airplane bathroom really does look like a contortionist act!), and made friends with the sweet flight attendants. I was with Jeff on the way out and the cutest thing was that he fell asleep during the descent with his hand wrapped around a couple of my fingers.
This recent plane trip was a little -- ok, a lot -- more chaotic. There was less poop which was good. There was more screaming and wriggling around and the boys were pretty antsy too. (Ba dum bum.) Now that the boys are mobile and more energetic, sitting for a few hours is practically impossible. Most of my pictures these days are blurry because they never stop moving.
Back to the September plane ride now.
We arrived in NYC about 7:00 p.m. and the boys, who hadn't slept for at least six hours or so, were due for bed. By the time we got to my parents' place we were sure they would want to sleep, although we gave them a little time to get used to the new environment and people.. After a little while we tried to do our nightly routine of low lights, pajamas, a bottle and maybe a book or a song before bed. We gave them pacifiers and put them into their pack-and-plays.
WAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!
That's pretty much all I remember from that first night because it was so chaotic after that. My boys have never really liked going to bed and going to bed in a strange place with a strange bed made it so much harder.
So, long story short, throughout the week they did better and better with their new "beds" but still fought going to sleep quite a bit. Towards the end of the week they started to realize that a pacifier meant it was time for bed. As we would put them in their pack-and-plays, they would rip the pacifiers from their mouths and throw them to the ground as a show of 17 month old defiance. (Aren't baby protests kind of cute in a way?) We would return the pacifier but after a several times we just let them throw it away and finally had to just leave the room. Derek and I noticed, though, that each night, after throwing out their pacifiers, the screams lasted less and less time.
When we got back to Chicago we decided this was our opportunity. The boys had spent the last few days without pacifiers and it was now or never to break the habit. So we did it. We stopped giving them pacifiers for their naps and overnight sleeps.
The first night wasn't bad. The second night I put Jeff in his bed while Derek put Aaron down. Aaron screamed his head off (he's Aaron -- have you met him? He likes to use his lungs). Jeff wasn't crying at all. He let me lay him down, peacefully, in his crib and then signed "pacifier" to me.
My heart broke. I had to tell him that the pacifiers were "all done." He just looked at me, a little dejected. I kissed him, told him I loved him, gave Aaron a kiss, told him I loved him, and left the room. Then Jeff started to cry. I can't tell you how hard that was.
It has now been close to a week since we got home and the no pacifier rule has been going well. The boys seem OK with the new world order and have asked for a pacifier a few times but always manage to fall asleep without one as long as we do our new favorite song, "Pease Porridge Hot" with lots of clapping, about 73 times before bed.
On Tuesday, however, I caught Jeff sucking his thumb while I was changing his diaper.
Uh oh...
There might be a new habit to break.
The first plane trip was to the west coast for Christmas. The boys were about nine months old. Traveling with them was a lot of work just due to the fact that we had blankets, diapers, formula, bottles, strollers, car seats, extra clothes, pacifiers, toys, snacks, etc. Nevertheless, the flights went pretty smoothly. Both boys slept a good deal of the time, pooped/peed a little (changing a diaper in an airplane bathroom really does look like a contortionist act!), and made friends with the sweet flight attendants. I was with Jeff on the way out and the cutest thing was that he fell asleep during the descent with his hand wrapped around a couple of my fingers.
This recent plane trip was a little -- ok, a lot -- more chaotic. There was less poop which was good. There was more screaming and wriggling around and the boys were pretty antsy too. (Ba dum bum.) Now that the boys are mobile and more energetic, sitting for a few hours is practically impossible. Most of my pictures these days are blurry because they never stop moving.
Back to the September plane ride now.
We arrived in NYC about 7:00 p.m. and the boys, who hadn't slept for at least six hours or so, were due for bed. By the time we got to my parents' place we were sure they would want to sleep, although we gave them a little time to get used to the new environment and people.. After a little while we tried to do our nightly routine of low lights, pajamas, a bottle and maybe a book or a song before bed. We gave them pacifiers and put them into their pack-and-plays.
WAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!
That's pretty much all I remember from that first night because it was so chaotic after that. My boys have never really liked going to bed and going to bed in a strange place with a strange bed made it so much harder.
So, long story short, throughout the week they did better and better with their new "beds" but still fought going to sleep quite a bit. Towards the end of the week they started to realize that a pacifier meant it was time for bed. As we would put them in their pack-and-plays, they would rip the pacifiers from their mouths and throw them to the ground as a show of 17 month old defiance. (Aren't baby protests kind of cute in a way?) We would return the pacifier but after a several times we just let them throw it away and finally had to just leave the room. Derek and I noticed, though, that each night, after throwing out their pacifiers, the screams lasted less and less time.
When we got back to Chicago we decided this was our opportunity. The boys had spent the last few days without pacifiers and it was now or never to break the habit. So we did it. We stopped giving them pacifiers for their naps and overnight sleeps.
The first night wasn't bad. The second night I put Jeff in his bed while Derek put Aaron down. Aaron screamed his head off (he's Aaron -- have you met him? He likes to use his lungs). Jeff wasn't crying at all. He let me lay him down, peacefully, in his crib and then signed "pacifier" to me.
My heart broke. I had to tell him that the pacifiers were "all done." He just looked at me, a little dejected. I kissed him, told him I loved him, gave Aaron a kiss, told him I loved him, and left the room. Then Jeff started to cry. I can't tell you how hard that was.
It has now been close to a week since we got home and the no pacifier rule has been going well. The boys seem OK with the new world order and have asked for a pacifier a few times but always manage to fall asleep without one as long as we do our new favorite song, "Pease Porridge Hot" with lots of clapping, about 73 times before bed.
On Tuesday, however, I caught Jeff sucking his thumb while I was changing his diaper.
Uh oh...
There might be a new habit to break.
Monday, September 2, 2013
I'm One Of Those Parents
Every parent thinks his or her child is special and smart and amazing, right? Everyone else rolls his or her eyes and thinks, "Suuuuuure" but will actually respond with, "Yes! The fact that Johnny is sticking his feet in his mouth does mean he is interested in anatomy and will become a podiatrist." Then that person posts something on Facebook saying how he or she is sick of parents bragging about their "brilliant" kids. I have a little more humility than these crazy parents, but I do want to share a cool story with you.
On Thursday I got my boys into their cribs but it wasn't quite naptime yet. I didn't want to take them out of their cribs and risk a fight to get them back in, so I decided to vamp for 10-15 minutes before starting the naptime routine. My kids still aren't really into storytime. After I read two or three pages of a book one will inevitably ask for the book. I will give it to him and he will usually take it from my hand and then toss it aside as if to say, "How dare you read to us!!! I do all the reading around here!"
With storytime being nixed I decided to focus on the animal decals. I do point out the animals from time to time. I tell the boys the names in English, American Sign Language, and Spanish (the ones I know...what the heck is the Spanish word for ibex???) but I never really emphasize learning the animals like I do when we read a book.
That's why I was totally shocked when I saw how well the boys could identify the animals on the wall near their cribs! In the take you didn't see, each boy was three for three. In the video, they got five out of six. I think "jellyfish" was too hard because there's no good sign for it and I don't know the Spanish word for it so we don't practice that one very much.
I also have the most amazing nanny in the world who loves to do art with my boys and she recently showed me that they are little Picassos in the making. Here they are having fun with paint for the first time with our awesome nanny.
I know that just because my kids know a few animals or get paint on paper it doesn't mean I believe they will be the Doogie Howser of the vet world or the next Pablo Picasso. I admit that they still have a lot (of the basics) to learn. For example, Jeff likes to bang his head against the wall. When Derek or I say, "Don't knock your head on the wall!" all he seems to hear is "Knock your head on the wall." He laughs the first couple of times but then hits it just hard enough that he has that look of "Why does my head hurt?" Aaron is no better. He enjoys drinking bathwater. He has a cup that he fills with water and tries to drink from it. The problem is it's a big cup and all he does is douse his face with water. He scares himself after water splashes his face. Six seconds later he does it all over again.
So while I'm proud of my kids for learning animals and trying art, I know that doesn't make them the smartest kids on earth.
Wait a minute. Now that I think about their behaviors I think Jeff banging his head on a wall is like an engineer testing the strength of his supporting beams. Aaron getting wet shows he is going to be an underwater explorer like Jacques Cousteau.
Wow...my kids really are geniuses!!!
OK...go post a message on Facebook about a crazy dad.
On Thursday I got my boys into their cribs but it wasn't quite naptime yet. I didn't want to take them out of their cribs and risk a fight to get them back in, so I decided to vamp for 10-15 minutes before starting the naptime routine. My kids still aren't really into storytime. After I read two or three pages of a book one will inevitably ask for the book. I will give it to him and he will usually take it from my hand and then toss it aside as if to say, "How dare you read to us!!! I do all the reading around here!"
With storytime being nixed I decided to focus on the animal decals. I do point out the animals from time to time. I tell the boys the names in English, American Sign Language, and Spanish (the ones I know...what the heck is the Spanish word for ibex???) but I never really emphasize learning the animals like I do when we read a book.
That's why I was totally shocked when I saw how well the boys could identify the animals on the wall near their cribs! In the take you didn't see, each boy was three for three. In the video, they got five out of six. I think "jellyfish" was too hard because there's no good sign for it and I don't know the Spanish word for it so we don't practice that one very much.
I also have the most amazing nanny in the world who loves to do art with my boys and she recently showed me that they are little Picassos in the making. Here they are having fun with paint for the first time with our awesome nanny.
I know that just because my kids know a few animals or get paint on paper it doesn't mean I believe they will be the Doogie Howser of the vet world or the next Pablo Picasso. I admit that they still have a lot (of the basics) to learn. For example, Jeff likes to bang his head against the wall. When Derek or I say, "Don't knock your head on the wall!" all he seems to hear is "Knock your head on the wall." He laughs the first couple of times but then hits it just hard enough that he has that look of "Why does my head hurt?" Aaron is no better. He enjoys drinking bathwater. He has a cup that he fills with water and tries to drink from it. The problem is it's a big cup and all he does is douse his face with water. He scares himself after water splashes his face. Six seconds later he does it all over again.
So while I'm proud of my kids for learning animals and trying art, I know that doesn't make them the smartest kids on earth.
Wait a minute. Now that I think about their behaviors I think Jeff banging his head on a wall is like an engineer testing the strength of his supporting beams. Aaron getting wet shows he is going to be an underwater explorer like Jacques Cousteau.
Wow...my kids really are geniuses!!!
OK...go post a message on Facebook about a crazy dad.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Bath Time With Twins
A little over a year ago I wrote my post about story time with twins which was quite an adventure. I'd like to now explain what it's like to bathe twins by myself.
Normally Derek and I bathe the boys together. Well, "together" means Derek usually bathes the kids after dinner every other night while I use those 15-20 minutes to run around the apartment like a madman trying to clean up the dishes and toys, sweep and mop the floor, deal with laundry, etc. When the boys are done with bath time I run into the bathroom and each one of us takes one wet baby and deals with the whole process of drying him off, putting on the butt paste, diapering him, getting on pajamas and brushing his hair while trying to stop him from eating the aforementioned towel, butt paste, diaper, pajamas and hairbrush.
For the last few months Derek has had a late schedule a few days a week and for the last few weeks I have been in rehearsals at night for a show so one of us is often alone with the boys in the evenings. Bathing two kids falls now become one person job.
Here is my bathing story from a few days ago...
5:50pm Decide it is time to bathe the kids. I start to undress Aaron first in the hallway near the bathroom.
5:51pm Open Aaron's diaper only to find a suprise "Code Brown." I quickly re-tape his diaper.
5:52pm Run into the bedroom to get some wipes to clean up Aaron, After cleaning him off on the changing table I put him down in the bedroom, naked, to start undressing Jeff.
5:53pm Start to undress Jeff and this time I smell the "Code Brown" so I wasn't surprised. As I start to change Jeff I hear an odd noise behind me. I turn to look and see Aaron peeing on the bedroom carpet.
5:55pm Finish undressing Jeff and put him down, naked, on the floor. Go to the bathroom and turn on the water.
5:56pm Get my spray bottle for pet stains to squirt onto the area where Aaron peed only to see Jeff peeing (with quite an impressive stream) in the hallway. I swear the pee went over two feet. At least this time it is on a hardwood floor.
5:57pm Find some Clorox wipes to clean up Jeff's pee.
5:58pm Go into the bathroom to check on the water. I start preparing the bath with some bubbles and toys. Jeff and Aaron follow me into the bathroom. Jeff, holding a toy, becomes interested in the kitty litter. He considers throwing his toy into the litter box but decides against it.
5:59pm Finally have both boys in the bath. We play. Aaron farts a lot. I get very wet even though I'm not the one taking a bath.
6:10pm Aaron decides he is done with bath time. I can't take him out and leave Jeff in the water. I open the drain in the tub to let the water out.
6:10-6:17pm Jeff finds it funny to close the drain every time I open it. As a result it takes forever to drain a few inches of water from the tub.
6:18pm Take Aaron out of the tub, dry him off and run into the bedroom (about 5 feet away) praying Jeff doesn't decide to try to climb out of the tub. I throw naked Aaron into his crib. He screams as I run back into the bathroom to get Jeff. I pray Aaron doesn't pee in his bed.
6:18pm and 12 seconds Take Jeff out of the tub, start to dry him off and run into the bedroom to a screaming Aaron. I put naked Jeff in his crib. I pray Jeff doesn't pee in his bed.
6:18 and 20 seconds I get a chilly Aaron out of his crib and start the going to bed process of butt paste, diaper and pajamas. I only get butt paste and a diaper on squirmy Aaron before stopping due to exhaustion but I'm ok with that. Jeff cries. I continue to pray Jeff doesn't pee in his bed before I get a diaper on him.
6:20pm Put Aaron on the floor to play. He is dressed and his hair is a mess, but I justify not brushing his hair becuase the messy, bed-head look is in these days, right?
6:21pm Get Jeff out of his crib and try to put diaper cream on him. He clings to me. He loves to be held; he hates to be on his changing table. I hold Jeff for a minute or two praying he doesn't pee on me before I get a diaper on him.
6:23pm Get Jeff interested in a light attached to his changing table. I slather on the butt paste while he is standing up looking at the light. I do my best to put a diaper on him while he is still standing. I wonder where Aaron is. I put Jeff down on the floor to play.
6:25pm Look for Aaron and see he is in the bathroom eyeing the kitty litter box because I forgot to lock the gate thanks to "baby brain" and not having three arms.
6:26pm Take Aaron out of the bathroom.
6:27-6:43pm Spend the next 16 minutes chasing the boys up and down the hallway trying to get pajamas on them. I always win in the end but it usually involves a lot of laughter (from the boys who think this is a game), crying (from daddy who thinks this is the universe's way of punishing him for some wrongdoings in a past life), exercise (both cardio from the chase and strength building from wrestling with a baby as I try to get him dressed), and sometimes a cracker (to distract a baby when I'm too tired to chase him any more).
6:44-7:00pm In a daze I manage to give the boys their last bottle of the night, brush their teeth, and get them into their cribs. Usually they do fall asleep rather quickly these days or they play with a book for a while before falling asleep. I guess this process wears them out as much as it does me.
7:01-7:04pm I curl up on the couch and tune out the world for a few minutes wondering if this will ever get easier.
7:05pm I realize that a day like today, as hard as it is, gives me a good "Let me tell you about the time the boys peed on the floor" story to tell when they are surly teenagers.
Normally Derek and I bathe the boys together. Well, "together" means Derek usually bathes the kids after dinner every other night while I use those 15-20 minutes to run around the apartment like a madman trying to clean up the dishes and toys, sweep and mop the floor, deal with laundry, etc. When the boys are done with bath time I run into the bathroom and each one of us takes one wet baby and deals with the whole process of drying him off, putting on the butt paste, diapering him, getting on pajamas and brushing his hair while trying to stop him from eating the aforementioned towel, butt paste, diaper, pajamas and hairbrush.
For the last few months Derek has had a late schedule a few days a week and for the last few weeks I have been in rehearsals at night for a show so one of us is often alone with the boys in the evenings. Bathing two kids falls now become one person job.
Here is my bathing story from a few days ago...
5:50pm Decide it is time to bathe the kids. I start to undress Aaron first in the hallway near the bathroom.
5:51pm Open Aaron's diaper only to find a suprise "Code Brown." I quickly re-tape his diaper.
5:52pm Run into the bedroom to get some wipes to clean up Aaron, After cleaning him off on the changing table I put him down in the bedroom, naked, to start undressing Jeff.
5:53pm Start to undress Jeff and this time I smell the "Code Brown" so I wasn't surprised. As I start to change Jeff I hear an odd noise behind me. I turn to look and see Aaron peeing on the bedroom carpet.
5:55pm Finish undressing Jeff and put him down, naked, on the floor. Go to the bathroom and turn on the water.
5:56pm Get my spray bottle for pet stains to squirt onto the area where Aaron peed only to see Jeff peeing (with quite an impressive stream) in the hallway. I swear the pee went over two feet. At least this time it is on a hardwood floor.
5:57pm Find some Clorox wipes to clean up Jeff's pee.
5:58pm Go into the bathroom to check on the water. I start preparing the bath with some bubbles and toys. Jeff and Aaron follow me into the bathroom. Jeff, holding a toy, becomes interested in the kitty litter. He considers throwing his toy into the litter box but decides against it.
5:59pm Finally have both boys in the bath. We play. Aaron farts a lot. I get very wet even though I'm not the one taking a bath.
6:10pm Aaron decides he is done with bath time. I can't take him out and leave Jeff in the water. I open the drain in the tub to let the water out.
6:10-6:17pm Jeff finds it funny to close the drain every time I open it. As a result it takes forever to drain a few inches of water from the tub.
6:18pm Take Aaron out of the tub, dry him off and run into the bedroom (about 5 feet away) praying Jeff doesn't decide to try to climb out of the tub. I throw naked Aaron into his crib. He screams as I run back into the bathroom to get Jeff. I pray Aaron doesn't pee in his bed.
6:18pm and 12 seconds Take Jeff out of the tub, start to dry him off and run into the bedroom to a screaming Aaron. I put naked Jeff in his crib. I pray Jeff doesn't pee in his bed.
6:18 and 20 seconds I get a chilly Aaron out of his crib and start the going to bed process of butt paste, diaper and pajamas. I only get butt paste and a diaper on squirmy Aaron before stopping due to exhaustion but I'm ok with that. Jeff cries. I continue to pray Jeff doesn't pee in his bed before I get a diaper on him.
6:20pm Put Aaron on the floor to play. He is dressed and his hair is a mess, but I justify not brushing his hair becuase the messy, bed-head look is in these days, right?
6:21pm Get Jeff out of his crib and try to put diaper cream on him. He clings to me. He loves to be held; he hates to be on his changing table. I hold Jeff for a minute or two praying he doesn't pee on me before I get a diaper on him.
6:23pm Get Jeff interested in a light attached to his changing table. I slather on the butt paste while he is standing up looking at the light. I do my best to put a diaper on him while he is still standing. I wonder where Aaron is. I put Jeff down on the floor to play.
6:25pm Look for Aaron and see he is in the bathroom eyeing the kitty litter box because I forgot to lock the gate thanks to "baby brain" and not having three arms.
6:26pm Take Aaron out of the bathroom.
6:27-6:43pm Spend the next 16 minutes chasing the boys up and down the hallway trying to get pajamas on them. I always win in the end but it usually involves a lot of laughter (from the boys who think this is a game), crying (from daddy who thinks this is the universe's way of punishing him for some wrongdoings in a past life), exercise (both cardio from the chase and strength building from wrestling with a baby as I try to get him dressed), and sometimes a cracker (to distract a baby when I'm too tired to chase him any more).
6:44-7:00pm In a daze I manage to give the boys their last bottle of the night, brush their teeth, and get them into their cribs. Usually they do fall asleep rather quickly these days or they play with a book for a while before falling asleep. I guess this process wears them out as much as it does me.
7:01-7:04pm I curl up on the couch and tune out the world for a few minutes wondering if this will ever get easier.
7:05pm I realize that a day like today, as hard as it is, gives me a good "Let me tell you about the time the boys peed on the floor" story to tell when they are surly teenagers.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Single Parenthood
I have had this post in my head since May when Mother's Day came up. It popped into my head because A) some of my single mom friends wished me a happy Mother's Day because they get wished a happy Father's Day for doing double duty as a parent and B) I have single mom friends who blow my mind by how much they do now that I'm a parent myself.
It's no secret that parenthood has been a rocky road for me. I don't do well with the lack of sleep, I get crazy having a home that is constantly a mess, and I have no self-restraint when my kids cry because I feel I have to rush to their aid. Can you say overtired, anal-retentive, helicopter parent? (Hey...at least I'm getting better.)
There are days when the crying gets to me to the point that I can't think straight. I can't make a decision about how to handle the situation. Do I give in and let Aaron eat another pound of Cheerios, or do I make him eat his oatmeal? Do I let Jeff have a tantrum or do I put him in a "big boy" chair knowing that I'm now going to have to sit on the floor for the next 10 minutes making sure he doesn't fall off while standing on an adult sized chair? And then, of course, there is the ever popular how long do I let someone cry at night before going into the bedroom?
Thank goodness Derek is here to help me through these hard times.
I also think about how on earth I'd be able to get two kids up, fed, dressed, out the door, into the car, into daycare and still get to work on time five days a week if I were a single parent. I can barely drag myself out of bed in the mornings. Derek usually gets up first and I come out twenty minutes later as hideous Daddy-like monster squinting from the light, unable to talk, and grumpy as...as...well, as grumpy as my kids when they wake up from a nap.
My point to all of this is that parenthood has, at times, beaten me down, chewed me up and spit me out AND I have help. My single parent friends do it all on their own. They get up at 3:00 a.m. every time to soothe a sick kid, change every diaper, cook every meal, clean every dish, plan every vacation, and do everything 24/7/365. It blows my mind to think these amazing parents who are raising some really terrific kids.
While raising children with someone has its own challenges (Did you seriously take our children out in public wearing a striped shirt and plaid pants???) I know Aaron, Jeff and I are happy to be in a family of four instead of three.
It's no secret that parenthood has been a rocky road for me. I don't do well with the lack of sleep, I get crazy having a home that is constantly a mess, and I have no self-restraint when my kids cry because I feel I have to rush to their aid. Can you say overtired, anal-retentive, helicopter parent? (Hey...at least I'm getting better.)
There are days when the crying gets to me to the point that I can't think straight. I can't make a decision about how to handle the situation. Do I give in and let Aaron eat another pound of Cheerios, or do I make him eat his oatmeal? Do I let Jeff have a tantrum or do I put him in a "big boy" chair knowing that I'm now going to have to sit on the floor for the next 10 minutes making sure he doesn't fall off while standing on an adult sized chair? And then, of course, there is the ever popular how long do I let someone cry at night before going into the bedroom?
Thank goodness Derek is here to help me through these hard times.
- Yes, it's OK to give Aaron more Cheerios, Michael.
- No, don't let Jeff get used to standing on chairs, Michael.
- Go sit outside, you weak-willed wussy, until the kids fall asleep.
I also think about how on earth I'd be able to get two kids up, fed, dressed, out the door, into the car, into daycare and still get to work on time five days a week if I were a single parent. I can barely drag myself out of bed in the mornings. Derek usually gets up first and I come out twenty minutes later as hideous Daddy-like monster squinting from the light, unable to talk, and grumpy as...as...well, as grumpy as my kids when they wake up from a nap.
My point to all of this is that parenthood has, at times, beaten me down, chewed me up and spit me out AND I have help. My single parent friends do it all on their own. They get up at 3:00 a.m. every time to soothe a sick kid, change every diaper, cook every meal, clean every dish, plan every vacation, and do everything 24/7/365. It blows my mind to think these amazing parents who are raising some really terrific kids.
While raising children with someone has its own challenges (Did you seriously take our children out in public wearing a striped shirt and plaid pants???) I know Aaron, Jeff and I are happy to be in a family of four instead of three.
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