Jack's Leap

I assume Jack will always do this. Leap from one stage to the stage ten after that.  But I've been told not to assume that.  That it's negative thinking.  I'm not so sure it's negative.  It's sort of like Jack's super power.  Anyway.  He was screened for Kindergarten 2-2-13 with a bunch of other kids - he had a great time, but he's just not someone who cares about ... this is hard to explain and not sound wrong.  He doesn't care about what he doesn't care about.  He doesn't fake it.  

So we rescreened him 3-19-13 since his evaluation seemed off and he was evaluated a year more advanced.  Screener suggested that when he's not interested in the game/test or if he's more interested in the other people/etc in the room he'll just throw out any word/answer to try to hurry the end of the test.

Anyway, he's also still not interested in handwriting.  So he got a big toy for pretending to be interested in handwriting.   And he fell asleep cuddling with it.

Big Man on campus next year... somewhere

Purging Romance

We got rid of so much extraneous stuff during the various stages of the move that most of the things we are sorting through and finding now have positive memories - important enough to have gone through all the other purges.  Having an easy phone on one's camera helps make otherwise difficult decisions - like throwing away the video cassettes of Scarecrow & Mrs. King episodes that Steve had made me special labels for even though he hated the show.  Keep the picture of the thing, not the thing, that's my motto.

Unless we're talking about the husband himself, I'll keep the photo of him AND the guy himself.

Cuz he makes me laugh

even when he won't stop talking while I TAKE the picture

Night Terrors Revisited

Night Terrors the second time around are so different.  And it has to do with us knowing exactly whats going on and also just a little on how they are just a tad different.  This is a chronicle of Finn's type of night terrors - which I think are considered "night awakenings?" Shoot I have to look back at my own blog to remember the name.  Night "Terror" as a term is saved for when the subject actually runs or flails around.  For my boys it has always been sitting bolt upright screaming their head off as if someone is hurting them.  With Jack I don't feel like I have a good memory of his face or pattern because by the time we figured out he was experiencing night terrors we fixed them basically the same night because just like Finn they were exhaustion related.

SO yes, first off, just like GI JOE used to say "Knowing is half the battle."  So instead of sit there and try to figure out what's wrong or snap Finn out of the nightmare or sleep like we did with Jack, we just pick Finn up and move him out of the room to finish his night terror off in safety and away from the other kids (like we finally did with Jack the few times he had one again).

For Jack, probably because the poor guy was exhausted and we didn't know it,  the behavior of the sleep terror kind of... was within character.  Oh Jack, I'm so sorry we didn't understand you earlier.

Oddly enough, because Finn is a much mellower temperament, it's a little more disconcerting to me when Finn is struck with a night terror.  He shakes and stares either straight at me or to the wall and screams in fear or upset.  His eyes are dilated.  He doesn't want to be touched.  Talking to him gives no response.

AND, differing from Jack again, Finn never does wake up from his night terror - he just moves right through it back to deep sleep.  Jack would cry and cry... then look around and realize he wasn't in his bed and speak to us - he would wake up and then be perfectly able to go back to sleep.

I find this stage of Finn's night terror (after the screaming, straight to deep sleep) pretty funny in comparison to the hellish ten minutes before it.  Still sad, but at least I know its over for us both.

I don't love the idea that he's having some sort of nightmare while totally asleep (vs. night terror) either.  I'd prefer to think that if my babies aren't screaming they are having lovely dreams of driving racecars or fighting for the autobots or something.

Random Abby

The Morning of her last Poem Party "A Dreadful Mistake" (the poem not the day)

Growing so lovely.  And as usual, with such grace.  *Pun not intended.  Here she is WITH Grace, only an illustration of how lovely she is to those younger than her.

Poppa Days.  Once a week since she was born pretty much.  They've evolved from adventure to adventure, but I love that she'll have the same memories I did with my dad (once a week going to Bob's Big Boy might not seem a good comparison but for ME food is better than toys).

The first night we had our things at the new house Abby decorated her room with her jewelry

Momma Abby

 

 After writing about Jack skipping around stages of growth I realize that I've written about how I do that too.

Well I take pictures a lot as you might have guessed from the massive amout of evidence on facebook.  I'm always on the hunt for good pictures of my own kids.

All of them together? Oooooo it's like Christmas.  But back to the skipping thing.

I took these pictures on Sunday.  Spent a good amount of time admiring my work, editing and sharing on facebook.


And didn't notice until today that this really is MY Abby.  This is the same Abby who was an only child at age 1, 2, 3, and even 4. This is the same Abby who used to look at me with emotion and frustration and rebellion huge in her eyes.

LOOK at her.  So calm, so centered. Loving her brothers.  Entertaining them.  Working with them; mothering them whether I'm there or not.

I will always always hold in my heart all those cuter than cute moments from babyhood and toddlerhood and very young childhood.  But I can't help it.  The memories are sweetest in hindsight.  When, just like a book or movie, I have the opportunity to know how things have worked out.  Just imagine how thrilled I'll be when I'm elderly!

Jack: 1, 2, 3,... 5

Jack got stuck somewhere in the 2's for a long time.  It was with much effort and struggle and tears that he wrestled into his 3's... and he seemed even there to hang on.  But then... all of a sudden... and I do mean all of a sudden - as in in the last two weeks.  He's 5. FULL FLEDGED FIVE.  Telling stories and jokes and being polite and helpful and trying to talk his siblings out of things and into things and wow.

Jack is a jumper.  He always has been.  Even in the womb, this guy jumped around.   In development he is the quintessential boy.  In that he rides along slow as you please in a stage and then sudden jumps past the next five.

It's glorious.  It's funny.  It's great.  But for the first time I can remember I'm sitting here with mouth half open saying, "Wait, wait... so did I just totally miss out on the 4s?!"

Fussy Eaters Unite

An Open Letter to Parents of Fussy Eaters

Anyone who has known me long knows I was the poster child for fussy eating from the time I was 3 until I was... well 35.

According to my mother I ate everything until I noticed my brother did not.  From then on, no amount of bribery, cajoling, pleading, guilt, starvation, or nudging could drive me off course.

I can literally list for you what I ate from Kindergarten-College without exception (I'm not going to count desserts in here):

• Plain chicken breast
• Cheerios
• Instant Breakfast (Chocolate mostly though I remember very early on a vanilla phase)
• Top Ramen (dry or cooked - Beef flavor only)
• Steak (plain)
• Apples
• Bananas
• Frozen peanut butter sandwiches
• Microwavable White Rice with salt
• Pizza (Cheese Pizza ONLY)
• McDonalds Hamburgers PLAIN (brief memory of eating the nuggets but not liking them)

Hmm... I'm running low... Thinking hard now...

• Rice Crispies (Every now and then)
• Spaghetti (at Christmas at Auntie Lucy's)
• Pancakes 
• Sourdough Toast (Pioneer Brand)
• Other Sundry Bread (but only if starving)
• Cheese (chedder and string)
• Chips (doritos plain flavor, pringles)
• Saltines
• Peanuts
• Sunflower seeds

I mean I'm sure I'll think of a few more things but... not many.

My eating habits were a constant embarrassment to my family.  And I'm sure especially to my mom a pretty serious stress.

My kids have Steve to balance them out a bit and so far Abby & Jack are doing steller in comparison to their mom.  But Finn is currently on a graham cracker & cream cheese kick.  And Bananas.  That's about it.  It's not good.

BUT as I was worrying about this today I wanted to remind myself... and anyone else who might want the encouragement.  

I was the fussiest of eaters and yet:

I have had and do have long lasting nourishing loving relationships.

I am on excellent, loving terms with everyone in my family - that includes my in-laws!

I did excellent in school.

I was a part of many extra curricular activities (granted they were mostly nerdy ones)

I dated.

I made up curfews that were earlier than what my parents would have said they were.

The only times I was ever out late with a boy before Steve, we were actually literally just talking.  Really.

I've never smoked a cigarette.

I've never experimented or tried any drug stronger than Tylenol.  (And when I do choose to do Tylenol I follow the prescribed dosage.)

I've never had a speeding ticket. I've only even ever been pulled over twice. I was given warnings only.

I've never had a non-productive argument with anyone in my family.

Some people like me who aren't even related to me.

I found work in high school, college, and after college.

I graduated from pre-school, elementary school, high school, college, and pre-marital counseling.

I can play the piano.

I can write a damn good essay.

I can draw, paint, watercolor, or take a pretty picture

I never got sent to the principal's office... I'm not sure I ever got in trouble in school at all.

I don't cuss.  Except that one afternoon with Juliana S. because she thought it was really really funny.

The only time I drink alcohol is when my friends really really want to be entertained (once every 3-5 years?).

I've never bowed to peer pressure of any kind ever (except maybe for the drinking thing, but that's slightly different).

I'm only two months behind on my scrapbooking.

I love my kids.

Most people would even assume I was pretty normal if they don't speak to me.

And... finally... eventually, I did learn to love trying things.  It took Steve saying he wouldn't date me unless I liked Mexican food (I then ate chicken fajitas every single day, twice a day for 10 years straight - joke's on him sucker!!! Just kidding! Love you babe!).  It took going to dozens of weddings in which all the appetizers were chinese inspired and I was really really hungry.  And finally... it took my third pregnancy to do just what everyone always said would happen.  Instead of crave odd foods - the girl who always ate oddly - craved normal food.

Point being?  I figured it out.  I've never had a prolonged sickness or broken a bone and if given enough time I figured stuff out.  So will your kids.