Things Our Children Say

*Noelle: Max isn't being gentlemanly

*Max, while running away from me at a play date: Please don't beat me Mom!

*Mom: Let's clean up guys
Max: My arm is broke, I can't clean up
Mom: You can still help, you made the mess, so you can help clean up
Max: But you are so good at cleaning up Mom and I don't want to be good at it so I don't need the practice.

*Max wants a story before bed about: Monsters and Daddy and I get our guns and shoot them and their guts go all over the place!

*Noelle wants a story before bed about: A beautiful princess that has a horse with fur that sparkles in the sun and a mane and tail that is rainbow in color.

*Mom: Violette are you stinky?
Violette: Yeah (as she plugs her nose)

*Noelle: Max smells like boy!
Mom: What does "boy" smell like?
Noelle: Toots, and dirt, and stinky feet!

*Mom: Max what are you going to teach your new little brother?
Max: How to toot on the girls, and chase them!

*Mom: Noelle, are you excited for school?
Noelle: Yes, but I'm going to miss you so much. You are the best Mommy in the whole world!

*Violette, poking her head out from behind the chair: Hi
Mom: I love you!
Violette: ove you, bye (then her little head disappears)

*While folding laundry Violette pulls clothes out while saying Mommy, Daddy, Max, or Noelle to the appropriate clothing.

*Mom: Max come give Mommy a kiss!
Max: I don't kiss dirty girls!

*Noelle: Max, you make my life so difficult!

*Max: Look Mom I can do a somersault with my cast!

*Mom: Why do you guys have to fight all the time?
Noelle: We just have to because Max doesn't do what I say and I don't want to listen to him, so we fight.

*Noelle, while playing doctor: Violette push the baby out
Violette: grrrrr
Noelle: It's a baby girl, congratulations!
Violette: Baby, yeah.

*Max: Everybody poops, even Barack Obama

Time in St. Clair

There's no vocabulary

For love within a family, love that's lived in

But not looked at, love within the light of which

All else is seen, the love within which

All other love finds speech.

This love is silent.
- T S Eliot

While Max took it easy on Saturday with Tom, the girls and I ran over to St. Clair to spend some time with my Grandparents. Time spent with them is precious and we cherish every moment we can.

Noelle was very excited to present Grandma with an adorable hand print wreath made by all the children. The girls giggled and ran around enjoying themselves and entertaining the masses. My Aunt Barb from Texas was up and it was great to see and spend time with her. My Aunt Judy was also present and we ran over to her house after Grandma needed a nap. St. Clair is always a place filled with much family and love!

It Had To Happen Eventually....

Violette may have been the first to break a bone, but Max has now followed suit.

It was a nice Friday afternoon. Violette had just waken from her nap and we were all in the girl's bedroom playing with the multitudes of stuffed animals. Tossing them around, giggling, and having a blast. Max and Noelle were climbing in and out of Violette's crib, as they do all the time. Max stayed in the crib for a few minutes as Noelle tossed animals to him from her bed. They were getting along and having fun as I watched and smiled at their sweetness. Max decided to climb out as he did he fell awkwardly on his arm.

Immediately, I knew his arm was broken. The unnatural bend was alarming to my motherly eyes. My stomach turned at the sheer sight of it, because I wanted to ease his pain and take away the break. He cried out, but not much. I scooped him up and looked again at his left arm. No question, it was broken and I had to get him in to the doctor quickly. Noelle was freaking out, so upset, crying, "I don't want my brother to break his arm!", most likely picking up from my outward emotions. Max, merely whimpering while keeping his arm covered from view by his prized night-night, reassured her, "I'm okay Noelle. Don't worry."

I quickly put the kids in the car and rushed to the ER. Tom met me there. It was confirmed that, yes it was indeed broken. The ER doctor said that it would need to be set but because Max had recently had a snack the sedative could not be administered for a few hours. They sent us over to the University of Michigan Mott's Children Hospital to a orthopedic specialist.

We split up at this point. It had been hours, pushing 6:30pm and there was no point in the entire family going. I took the girls home and Tom went with our brave little man over to U of M.

It was a long, long, exhausting stay for Tom and Max, not getting home until 2am Saturday morning. Luckily, it turned out Max's arm would not need to be reset and they applied a hard cast. Max did remarkably well, during the long stay, especially since he hadn't eaten or had anything to drink for a very long time. Around 11pm he finally fell asleep for a bit before the casting. A nice break for him and Tom I do believe.


He has done well today, Saturday and Sunday. Adjusting wonderfully to the cast. He has had his cranky moments, but I'm very impressed at how tough he has been. Accepting help from us is not his strong point as he still tries to do everything on his own. He gets more mad at us stopping him from doing rough things, like jumping from the coffee table to the couch. Seriously, he was so mad at me for not letting him do this!

The heat that has set in has brought out the itchiness underneath the cast, and with that comes complaining. During the heat we will just avoid being outside and play in the air conditioning. Thankfully, it's the end of summer.

Here are some pictures of the dude over the past days. The first is truly a favorite of mine. Tom took Max out and he fell asleep, gun firmly grasped in his hand.

Words For Wednesday

We've been fighting a bit of the summer bugs (more than one) around here. Pink eye, fevers, more pink eye, more fevers, strep throat, pink eye again, etc. Just when I think I have gotten rid of the last of it, someone will wake up with eye that will not open and a sour-puss look on their face. Such is life, as I have been discovering over the last four and a half years, with young children. I think we have have beat this round and all seem better as of today.

In some exciting news, both Noelle and Max are officially registered for preschool! Noelle will attend two days a week 9-12 and Max one day a week at the same time. I discovered a preschool close to our home, about a 10 mins. drive. We visited the school a few weeks ago and I like the facility, and the director very much. Another great plus is that they have curb side drop off. For a mother who will be experiencing the unpleasantness of a c-section and then having to load up all the children in the morning shortly thereafter, this is huge! I had no intention of entering Max, but after our first visit he kept asking to go. Monday, they had a family day and Max had the opportunity to meet who would be his teacher and was smitten. I couldn't say no to his cute face again. I figure there is no negative to him going, he is a social child and would, no doubt, benefit from being away from me for three hours once a week.

This will also give me some nice alone time with, at first, Violette, and then with both Violette and the new baby. Scrumptious, sweet Violette will love her Mommy alone time, as it happens once in a blue moon now. Then when the new baby (still no name because we just not set on anything, and probably won't be until we see and hold him) enters the chaos Violette can focus on being the big sister without her over bearing siblings around to hone in. I think it will be a wonderful adjustment for all of us.

I'm not completely ready for both Noelle and Max to go and will have to spend the next few weeks preparing myself for this big step. Max will thrive, he is that type of child, social and a leader. Noelle begged not to go, but has come around to the idea and is actually excited about it. That first day will be hardest of me. I asked Tom to go in late to work so we could take them together, but he isn't ready either and doesn't want to go. Yes, we are just too emotional when it comes to these things with our children.

That's about all going on around here, recovery, preparation, and enjoying the last few weeks of summer.

Wordless Wednesday A Day Late

Growing Too Fast

Violette is stepping farther and farther away from baby-dom every second. From adding words to her repertoire to expending her pretend play skills. I am in awe, still, of the quickness of growth and am reminded daily to enjoy each moment and stage of our children's lives. To preserve their youth and treasure their innocence.

I have seen many instances of patience and concentration coming through. Violette enjoys building with blocks and doing her best to go higher and higher. She also loves to play with Noelle's doll house. Her level of engagement is surprising to me. Not only will she tenderly handle the little characters, but have interaction between baby and mother. She also will put the babies to bed or take them for a ride down the slide. Taking of the hairbrush and the look of complete involvement as she strains to reach the back of her head with her still short little arms. Not actions of a baby, but a little girl.

I am reminded that she is still a baby when she climbs in my lap and lays horizontally on me. Fitting perfectly as I wrap my arms around her. This is short lived as she pops up and demands a"ook, ook" (book) to be read. All the children have always enjoyed being read to, but Violette's love seems to be deeper. Animal books are by far her favorite as she delights in spewing out the sounds before the page is turned and the next animal revealed.

Many times I am just tired of reading towards the end of the day and she throws the book in protest and gets very upset when I decline her request. Instances of a temper are becoming more and more frequent. She hurls her little body on the ground, kicking and screaming when things don't go her way. We've even had tantrums over clothing already. Her opinions are strong and she is learning how to voice them.

At her age grasping the concept of another baby joining our family is beyond her realm of reason. We do talk about it all the time and she will say, "baby" and point to my belly and kiss it. I have been through this before with Max and know what to expect when adding a newborn to the mix with a young toddler. They seem to just accept the new addition without question and learn to adjust fairly easily.

I still hold firm that newborns are the easiest for me. Their sweet innocence only demands short bursts of attention and can be easily soothed with nursing and being but in a sling/carrier, leaving me a lot of time with the other ones. That's not to be confused with me saying newborns are oh, so easy, because the frequent night feedings always leave me, and mother's in general, drained of a good portion of energy. Making the days after the c-section more difficult to recover as I add more children to the mix. The adage of, "take it easy and sleep when the baby sleeps" doesn't exactly work with three other small children around. Having family close by would be nice, but Tom and I have survived three times before without little or no help and we'll do it again. I want to say, with ease, but I know it will be tough at times. Tears will flow from all five of us (while Tom is at work) at once. I may lock myself in the bedroom for two minutes of solitude to collect myself but we will survive and most likely flourish with growth as a family of six. I digress as I pour my thoughts and concerns about having baby boy.

Back to my sweet Violette Adelle. We do refer to her as the sweetest of the bunch. She flirtatiously smirks at people with a slight tilt of her head and bat of her extensive eyelashes, that has passer always smiling. When telling her "no" she gives us that little smile then usually runs up to the disciplinarian and hugs them. All is forgotten and we scoop her up.

Baby soft skin still adorns her body. Supple cheeks still present for the kissing. A pudgy little belly, perfect for the rumbling of a hearty zerbert. Baby curls growing more present on her little head. The list continues of things still "baby" on our little one. Plump little feet that loved to have the little nails painted. The butt-in-the-air way of sleeping, while curled around her precious blankets, pacifier soundly stuck in her mouth.

She may not be the baby for much longer, but she will always be the baby girl of the family!

Wordless Wednesday