Buggy's 4th Birthday

The Birthday Kids!

Buggy has been celebrating her birthday for a week. We started with a family celebration a week ago Saturday. We did a joint family birthday party with Buggy's cousin B. They are barely 3 weeks apart in age and have been sharing celebrations since their baptisms.

This year we did a Super Hero themed birthday party. We haven't quite introduced our kids to Super Heroes yet so Buggy wasn't quite sure what to expect. They know of Superman and Batman and but have never seen a movie or cartoon and their only exposure has been from other kids or what we've seen down the aisles in Target.

My sister-in-law was a huge help this year coming up with a game, coming early to help set up, and staying later to clean up. I've been preoccupied with quite a few things recently and I was really grateful for her help.  We each had pinatas for the kids to hit, one for the big kids, one for the littler kids.  This year we decided not to do a craft and all of the cousins entertained themselves very well by running around the backyard, playing on the swing set, playing the game my sister-in-law created, and playing with random toys around the house.

Gifts were a huge hit and I was thrilled to see that B. loved the super hero cape we had gotten for him.  He immediately put it on and ran around the house as we all cheered and laughed. It was neat to see him so excited and watching his cape stream out behind him. It was perfect! The birthday kids looked like they had a good time and so did their 17 other cousins.  My poor niece E. broke her arm earlier in the day.  She was a trooper and I never heard her complain, though she was more subdued and looked like she was in pain. My nephew M. is healing from his brain injury, but looked a little sad not to be able to run around with the other kids. He still has a few weeks to go before he can resume normal activities and that has to be hard for a tween.  We were able to extend the celebration with a sleepover with one of Buggy's cousins. This was a real treat for her and for L.  They are just months apart in age and while we've been able to do a few play dates the girls see each other mostly during family gatherings. I hope to make play dates more often with L's family as the girls get along incredibly well.

Trying to get a picture with the Birthday girl.

Monday, October 22nd was Buggy's actual birthday.  Buggy and I went out for manis and pedis and treated our selves to a girls' day.  We took it easy and opened presents when Daddy came home from work. Buggy called Lolo and Lola and invited them over dinner and we all went to our favorite family restaurant for dinner and dessert.

This year I decided to do a separate friend party for Buggy. Usually our friends come to the big family gathering, but this year we decided to separate it and give Buggy her unicorn/fairy/rainbow party with her friends. While I don't relish having to plan two parties, bake two cakes, plan two menus, decorate the house twice, and make sure it's super duper clean between the parties, it was really nice to relax with our friends.  It was just my best friends and their kids and it's probably the smallest party we have ever hosted for our kids.  With just 9 kids and and 7 adults it was totally manageable. I also gave myself a break with the menu and we did pizza.  For Buggy's hero party I ordered an ice cream cake, but for the rainbow party I made a cake. It all evened out in the end.  I'm usually running around like a mad woman for the parties and this time I was able to sit back and actually have a conversation with my friends. It was like a big play date instead of a party and the kiddos had fun playing together.  Definitely low key and perfect.

Rainbow Cake!

Buggy went for her 4 year old health check up yesterday.  She is one happy and healthy kid. The doctor thinks she will be about 5'7"-5'8" when she's done growing. The doctor said she's tall and thin. (The doctor predicted Boogs will be about 5'9"-5'10" when he's done growing).  Buggy is growing so quickly and I can't believe she's four years old. I did ask the doctor about Buggy's heart and this year she was scheduled for another cardiology check up.

Buggy was born with 3 small holes in her heart. Her last appointment was when she was two years old.  At her two year old cardiology appointment the cardiologist said she doesn't need to be pre-medicated for dentist appointments and she can keep training for the Olympics ;) However, it is always in the back of my mind and it's something I pray about every night when I pray for Buggy. I pray that she continues to be strong and healthy and that her heart stays strong and healthy.

Inside the rainbow cake :)

The pediatric cardiology nurse called me today to see if we could come in for Buggy's 4 year old heart check up. While I was expecting to make the appointment it's still unnerving. I kept up happy chatter with Buggy as I explained each of the procedures during her appointment, but it's still unnerving. I don't want Buggy to think anything is wrong with her, and really there isn't, but to see my baby girl hooked up and to see the various pictures of her heart is just....um, indescribable.  Really.  It's terrifying in the sense that I'm always waiting to hear that her condition has worsened. So far, so good. It doesn't sound like the holes have closed and her pediatrician said that the longer the holes are open, the less likely they will close.  Because of Hurricane Sandy the pediatric cardiologist did not make it to today's appointment, but will call me tomorrow with the results. So I wait.

But my beautiful Buggy is still a healthy happy little girl. She is a devoted little sister and helpful big sister. She is my right hand and I love the way she tells me she is my best friend and will always be my daughter.  I love her heart. I love the way she loves others. I love when she tells me about her "gross spurks" and how things are "ahind" me when I am looking for them. I love how calls our cat "Ebby-ose" because she can't say Berlioz.  I love that she loves to go running with me and how she wants to be the Incredible Hulk for Halloween.  I love the way she sits next to me on our big chair and half and fingers the blankets while I crochet them for others as if she is bestowing a bit of her own love and prayers for whomever the blanket is made.  I love her and I love her heart. We are so blessed to have our sweet Buggy.

Just Born!

Buggy's 1st Birthday

Buggy's 2nd Birthday!

Buggy Turns 3!

My Big Girl is 4!

Boogie-isms

My son cracks me up on a regular basis with some of the things he says. Here are the most recent quotables:


Me: What do you want for lunch?
B: Are we omnivores?
Me: Yes.
B: A little meat and a little plant. Thanks.

B:  Speaking of pollen and nectar, I have to go to the bathroom.

On Daddy painting his room with two different murals because the kids will be sharing a room by Christmas:
B: What are you going to paint in my room?
D:  What do you think Buggy will like?
B: Things that little girls like. You know flowers and butterflies
D: What would you like on your side?
B: Things that boys like?
D: Like what?
B: Ummmm
D: Cheetahs? (Boogie has a smalled stuffed cheetah, Chester, who is his constant companion).
B: Yeah, cheetahs! And girls.
D: Girls?
B: Yeah, I like girls. Cheetahs and girls on my wall.

B: Can we give Buggy away?
D: Why?
B: She's annoying.
D: Who do you want to give her to?
B:  Jillian. Jillian would like to have her.
D: Jillian already has a little sister.
B: What about Isaiah?
D: Isaiah has a sister, too/
B: Well we can't give her to Lolo and Lola (his grandparents), because I want to see them.  Doesn't anybody want a little sister?

Oh, boy. I think I have my hands full with my two little ones!

St. Columba Bay

Last week at camp the campers "visited" St. Columba Bay. I learned that St. Columba does not have sand on it's shore, but rocks and pebbles.

 The kids made stepping stones for the children's garden at the church and then spent some time in reflection.  This is a pretty heavy concept for 4 year olds.  My friend A. ran this marketplace. She had each of the kids pick up two small stones. She played music and asked the kids to close their eyes and listen to the world around them. To see the water, to feel the wind and water on their face (she even spritzed them with one of those water bottles that have a fan attached), to listen to the music, to breathe in and out slowly.  Then she told the kids that when people come to St. Columba Bay that they would pick up two stones. One was to throw back in the water and it was the bad stuff...hurt feelings, a bad morning, mean things people may have said, or even something mean they may have done to someone else. The other stone was to keep and it was all the good things.  As an adult I found this really cool. Especially it happened on the same morning that I was really, really late to camp. So I threw my bad morning back into the "bay."  My group of 4 year olds all participated, but no one spoke up, nor were they expected to. But I still wonder how much they got out of it. Did they get the concept?

The next morning, Boogie went to St. Columba Bay with his group.  That night Hubby asked him what he did at camp. Boogs was all excited about St. Columba Bay. He excitedly told Hubby about the bay and throwing away the bad stuff and keeping the good stuff. Hubby asked what Boogie threw away.

Boogie's reply:  I threw away all my nights that I couldn't stay dry. I kept all my dry nights.

Wow! He really got the concept. A part of me was super proud that understood the concept and that he took it to heart. As teachers, that's what we want from our little students. That they walk away with new knowledge or new insight.  Another part of me was a little sad. I knew that his inability to stay dry at night was frustrating to me (especially when he leaked out of his pull-up and I was changing sheets in the dark in the middle of the night, though I always said, "It's okay, Sweetheart, we'll just take care of it."), but I had no idea that it was this frustrating to him, too!

The following day, I told A. about it and she told me that no one else shared in his group, but Boogie had volunteered information about his bad and good stones. She was fortunately able to give him some good counsel and tell him that his body will be ready when it will be ready and not to worry about it.

Well, I think between her good counsel and his ability to physically let go of his frustration was all Boogie needed. He's been dry most nights since then! I think we are dry 5 out of 7 nights! That's the most that he's had ever!  I'm trying not to get too excited or to pressure him. I'm trying to give him props and congratulate him when he's dry (without pressure) and to say, "Hey, no big deal on the mornings that he's not.  But to see that he's let go of his frustration is pretty wonderful!

Thanks, A. for all of your help!

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Note to Self

Note to self:  Lift up the toilet lid before going to bed to make it easier for the very sleepy 4-yr. old who is trying to stay dry at night to go to the potty. Otherwise this sight might greet you!

He was so proud of himself that he "listened to his body" and used the potty. He wiped an everything...he just forgot to raise the lid!

Living in the Moment

This month my son will turn 4 years old. I can't believe how quickly the time has flown by. I am grateful that I decided 2 years ago to take a break from teaching and to spend more time with him.

Not only does my son turn 4, but so does his best friend.  Four years ago, my best friend and I were pregnant with our first babies who were born 3 weeks apart.  Now our little ones are turning 4 and they have so much to share with us. I am constantly amazed by how intuitive and observant my son is...especially since he is a ball of crazy energy most of the time! How does he have time to be observant when he is running around so much?  But he is.

Lately my son has been saying, "I don't want to be 4! Can you make me not turn 4?"  What, you don't want to turn 4? What are you talking about?  Well come to find out, I have been saying things like:

 "You don't need my help putting on your shoes, you know how to do it, and you're almost 4. You Should be doing it on your own."

"Put on your jacket. Yes, you know how to do it, you're almost 4."

"Speak like a big boy. You are almost 4." (This is when he uses baby talk because his 16 month old sister is still learning how to say her words. He sees that she gets what she wants like milk or crackers when she signs or says basic words.)

What I thought was motivating ended up backfiring on me. My son equated being 4 with having more responsibility and he's not down with it at all. Why be 4 when being 3 means you still get help? Not bad thinking for an almost 4 year old :)  So my son's living in the moment of being 3 and trying to soak it all up before he turns 4 at the end of the month.

His best friend is also living in the moment. We went to her birthday party yesterday.  She got some new outfits and she was concerned that they all be size 4, well because she is 4.  She can't wear size 3 anymore because she's not 3, and she's not 5 yet, so size 5 is out of the question. She has to wear size 4.  It's as if she was saying...don't hold me back, I'm growing up, but don't make me grow up too fast...I'm 4!  She's living in the moment.

Too many times I'm doing something and wishing I was doing something else, but if I change tack, I wish I was doing the original activity, because I really need to get it done.  I feel like I never live in the moment, but always thinking of what's to come.  It's not a good way to live. I have a fantastic life and yes I have a lot to do being a Stay at Home Mom (SAHM): being cruise director for the family's activities, running errands to for the supplies to keep our family dressed, fed, and to do the activities we want to do, point person for everything going on, plus being there 100% for my husband and kids, not to mention the activities or committees I have joined so that I can continue to be well-rounded, oh, and the crafts I enjoy doing!

So I will take a page out of Boogie and his best friend's book and live in the moment. Get the things done that need to get done, but enjoy life, too! Thanks for the reminder, my dear 4 year olds!