Ever since school was let out, I've been trying to figure out a way to get back to walking. I've finally gotten to a point where my foot doesn't kill me to walk on it, at least not in the same way, thanks to two cortisone shots and more physical therapy. But how does one go walking around the neighborhood with four kids in tow. And after Tommy caught got second-degree burns from the treadmill once while I was on it, I am terrified to use the treadmill in the presence of the kids. I've managed to get out a couple of times in the evening, but that's always a mess with taekwondo schedules and dinner and our family-time. Julia, a friend, suggested going to the track. Yes! It works! Thank you Julia! Our elementary school put in a new big playground last year and a 1/8 mile track the year before that. So, I gather up all four kids... two in a stroller, two on bikes, two scooters folded in the back of the stroller... and water bottles and head up to the school. I believe it's about 1/4-1/3 mile up to the school. Then I walk 16 laps (2 miles) while the kids do whatever. They can play on the playground, bike or scooter around the basketball courts, bike or scooter around the track, walk around the track with me, or just sit and relax. For half of the time I'm walking, I'm facing all four kids. I just keep one ear open for any tears or yells. So far, so good. No one is there when we are and things have been going great! I think maybe we'll take a basketball next time too. Anyway, in the course of one hour, I get in 2.5 miles of walking while the kids get their playground time. Reagan has become quite the pro on the bike, and Ben did really well today! We just have to be sure to leave before 8am or else the humidity and heat is too intense. Plus, a bonus with leaving so early? Half the track is shaded by trees! Not to mention I still am home and showered by 9:30 with the whole day ahead of us. :-) Yes!
Another bonus to our new plan? Not only do the four kids get in a lot of physical activity and play time in the mornings, but in the evenings these next two weeks we have swimming lessons for the older three. They should sleep well these next two weeks. YAY!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Movies, Trains, Video Games and Bouncy Balls
Now, with the above title, how many would've guessed I was referring to the Dentist office?
Last Friday, I took all four kids to the dentist. 8am in a town 45 minutes away (with traffic). Of course, in rush hour, heading toward DC, I hit traffic. So, we left at 7am. I expected an easy-breezy visit with Ben, Reagan and Tommy... not sure what to expect with Gracelynn. Before we left for China, I called to add her to the checkup visits. They could fit her in at 8:40, so I felt happy to have her first dentist appointment scheduled. Then, when we first got Gracelynn and realized she had NEVER brushed her teeth in her life, we panicked. Our first instinct was to immediately call and cancel her appointment. However, as weeks went by, we realized she was the one child in the family that LIKED to brush her teeth. So, I kept the appointment. I'm glad I did.
The reason I travel 45 minutes to get to the dentist is that it's the coolest pediatric dentist's office I've ever seen. In the LARGE waiting area, there is a tree (fake, but real sized) that houses a kitchen area, an air-hockey table, a video-game center with four stools and PS2's, a large-screen plasma TV with theater-style steps to watch movies under a ceiling of white starry lights, huge bean-bag chairs to pile up and jump on, and many books to boot... and that doesn't include the adult area with a TV and comfy chairs and magazines and a coffee station. The bathroom is completely automatic... toilet, paper towels, soap and trashcan. No touching anything but the toilet paper. :-) Then, before you head back to the huge office (with at least 12-14 seats), you pick your DVD that plays on the movable TV screen at your chair. If the DVD isn't enough to distract you, perhaps the big train track attached to the ceiling above will keep your attention while the hygenists put their bubble-gum flavored gloved hands into your mouth while you wear cool sunglasses under the light. To say the least, it's VERY VERY VERY child friendly. Plus they do the orthodontic work there, so no extra offices to worry about.
I watched Ben, Tommy, and Reagan all head back with their movies. My goal was to have Grace sit with me while I watched Tommy. He has had his teeth injuries (fell on them on the concrete driveway and shifted two front teeth out of position about 1.5 years ago and now has two brown teeth), but the last couple of dentist visits went smoothly. Friday, however, he decided to have a meltdown. The Thomas the Tank Engine movie wasn't good enough. He wanted nothing to do with the super-sweet hygenist who kept playing games with him. I was so worried that Grace was getting a bad impression of dentists, so I had her look over at Reagan and Ben who were doing well. Eventually I had to hold Tommy on my lap and hold down his arms so they could briefly clean the teeth. Grace watched the DVD instead.
Then, after Tommy was done, we sat... and sat... and sat... and sat. How the one dentist could get stalled with her first appointment of the day, I don't know (our hygenist for Grace was held up because of the dentist). So, eventually I found myself chasing both kids around the office... basically saying, "Don't touch that", "Close that drawer", "Put that down", "Don't touch the dentist's tools", etc. Fortunately Reagan and Ben could sit in the waiting area on their own. Tommy was done at 8:40. Grace wasn't seen until 9:15. Ugh. I felt for sure that we were in for a huge meltdown, since it was obvious she was impatient. So was I! I almost never complain in doctor's offices... but that day I did.
Ha! She sat down, said, "cheese" and did everything the hygenist asked!!! She even had her X-rays taken beautifully!! I was astounded. First dentist visit and she loved it. Well, all four kids earned their prizes that day (... Tommy, well... at least he didn't injure anyone during the fits.) Bouncy balls and tattoos around!
Ok... one bad incident. Just as the dentist was making her way over to check over Grace's teeth, Grace and Tommy were fighting over the TV and who it should be pointing towards. Grace hauled off and kicked Tommy in the mouth. Geesh... At least we were at the dentist in case another tooth came loose. (He was fine... actually, she barely brushed his cheek, but she was in "timeout" with no TV screen for a short bit.)
Diagnosis? Ben comes back in 4 weeks to get the front teeth all "braced" up, in addition to the lovely appliance already in his mouth. Hopefully he'll be able to stop the face-mask at that point. Reagan was told another year till she begins orthodontic work. Tommy was fine, but since the two teeth did discolor, we now need to pay close attention to make sure they don't abscess and get infected. Grace has one tooth that is dysplastic (is that right?) where the enamel is thin and thus the tooth is more translucent and susceptible to cavities. It's a front tooth, and I did notice it being more yellow... I just assumed it was because of plaque.
Anyway, everyone now has shiny white teeth. :-) And Mommy made the next appointment in January with all four being seen at 8:00am (first appointment of the day) in side-by-side chairs! Woo-hoo! I get to sit back and watch and not chase anyone. Of course, I did tell Mike on my way home that he gets to take them next. LOL
Last Friday, I took all four kids to the dentist. 8am in a town 45 minutes away (with traffic). Of course, in rush hour, heading toward DC, I hit traffic. So, we left at 7am. I expected an easy-breezy visit with Ben, Reagan and Tommy... not sure what to expect with Gracelynn. Before we left for China, I called to add her to the checkup visits. They could fit her in at 8:40, so I felt happy to have her first dentist appointment scheduled. Then, when we first got Gracelynn and realized she had NEVER brushed her teeth in her life, we panicked. Our first instinct was to immediately call and cancel her appointment. However, as weeks went by, we realized she was the one child in the family that LIKED to brush her teeth. So, I kept the appointment. I'm glad I did.
The reason I travel 45 minutes to get to the dentist is that it's the coolest pediatric dentist's office I've ever seen. In the LARGE waiting area, there is a tree (fake, but real sized) that houses a kitchen area, an air-hockey table, a video-game center with four stools and PS2's, a large-screen plasma TV with theater-style steps to watch movies under a ceiling of white starry lights, huge bean-bag chairs to pile up and jump on, and many books to boot... and that doesn't include the adult area with a TV and comfy chairs and magazines and a coffee station. The bathroom is completely automatic... toilet, paper towels, soap and trashcan. No touching anything but the toilet paper. :-) Then, before you head back to the huge office (with at least 12-14 seats), you pick your DVD that plays on the movable TV screen at your chair. If the DVD isn't enough to distract you, perhaps the big train track attached to the ceiling above will keep your attention while the hygenists put their bubble-gum flavored gloved hands into your mouth while you wear cool sunglasses under the light. To say the least, it's VERY VERY VERY child friendly. Plus they do the orthodontic work there, so no extra offices to worry about.
I watched Ben, Tommy, and Reagan all head back with their movies. My goal was to have Grace sit with me while I watched Tommy. He has had his teeth injuries (fell on them on the concrete driveway and shifted two front teeth out of position about 1.5 years ago and now has two brown teeth), but the last couple of dentist visits went smoothly. Friday, however, he decided to have a meltdown. The Thomas the Tank Engine movie wasn't good enough. He wanted nothing to do with the super-sweet hygenist who kept playing games with him. I was so worried that Grace was getting a bad impression of dentists, so I had her look over at Reagan and Ben who were doing well. Eventually I had to hold Tommy on my lap and hold down his arms so they could briefly clean the teeth. Grace watched the DVD instead.
Then, after Tommy was done, we sat... and sat... and sat... and sat. How the one dentist could get stalled with her first appointment of the day, I don't know (our hygenist for Grace was held up because of the dentist). So, eventually I found myself chasing both kids around the office... basically saying, "Don't touch that", "Close that drawer", "Put that down", "Don't touch the dentist's tools", etc. Fortunately Reagan and Ben could sit in the waiting area on their own. Tommy was done at 8:40. Grace wasn't seen until 9:15. Ugh. I felt for sure that we were in for a huge meltdown, since it was obvious she was impatient. So was I! I almost never complain in doctor's offices... but that day I did.
Ha! She sat down, said, "cheese" and did everything the hygenist asked!!! She even had her X-rays taken beautifully!! I was astounded. First dentist visit and she loved it. Well, all four kids earned their prizes that day (... Tommy, well... at least he didn't injure anyone during the fits.) Bouncy balls and tattoos around!
Ok... one bad incident. Just as the dentist was making her way over to check over Grace's teeth, Grace and Tommy were fighting over the TV and who it should be pointing towards. Grace hauled off and kicked Tommy in the mouth. Geesh... At least we were at the dentist in case another tooth came loose. (He was fine... actually, she barely brushed his cheek, but she was in "timeout" with no TV screen for a short bit.)
Diagnosis? Ben comes back in 4 weeks to get the front teeth all "braced" up, in addition to the lovely appliance already in his mouth. Hopefully he'll be able to stop the face-mask at that point. Reagan was told another year till she begins orthodontic work. Tommy was fine, but since the two teeth did discolor, we now need to pay close attention to make sure they don't abscess and get infected. Grace has one tooth that is dysplastic (is that right?) where the enamel is thin and thus the tooth is more translucent and susceptible to cavities. It's a front tooth, and I did notice it being more yellow... I just assumed it was because of plaque.
Anyway, everyone now has shiny white teeth. :-) And Mommy made the next appointment in January with all four being seen at 8:00am (first appointment of the day) in side-by-side chairs! Woo-hoo! I get to sit back and watch and not chase anyone. Of course, I did tell Mike on my way home that he gets to take them next. LOL
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Keeping Busy
This was bound to be a long summer for all of us. Other than the scattered camping week, VBS, tennis lessons, a quick trip to PA, and a few weekends of company, we really didn't have anything BIG to look forward to. No vacations. I was worried what I'd be doing with four kids all summer long... one of whom was brand new to the family and didn't speak much English. :-)
At the end of the school year, I read online a bunch of people's idea for keeping kids busy all summer. I found several lists of dozens (even hundreds) of ideas. So, I created an index box full of cards with suggestions of things to do.... most of which do not require my involvement, especially with my two oldest. So, not always daily, but when I see the kids bored or fighting or getting on each other's nerves, I pull out the box. The rule is they can pick three random cards out and choose one. And yes, it's usually Ben and Reagan that do the picking out... Tommy and Grace just follow along.
So far, they've done several cards.
1. Some of the things they've chosen so far include making paper-bag puppets. Reagan made an astronaut and Ben made an alien. They began making a play for them too... but somehow that got sidetracked. Dang it... forgot to take a photo.
2. Another idea was to create a journal of the things they did this summer. Our Brownie troop was asked to do this too, so that jogged Reagan's memory and she rushed off to begin the journal. We even took a photo of her in the shirt she made at camp along with her hat full of SWAPS (her first entry was about Girl Scout camp).
3. Another recent card from the idea box had the kids draw their silhouettes on white kraft paper and decorate them to look like themselves. After I traced each kid in a silly pose, I then outlined the silhouette in black marker (washable marker doesn't bleed through like Sharpies) and added edges of clothing, bangs, etc. Then I taped each kids block of paper to the hardwood floors with painter's tape and let them at it with crayons. Grace colored her face green; Tommy colored his legs black; Ben made silly eyes and went fast; Reagan took her time and colored for well over an hour. Over the next couple of days, I cut out the designs and then hung them on the downstairs wall near their craft table and craft cupboard.
4. One day they spent hours creating their very own menu for their own restaurant. The idea was to decide what options they would include on a menu at a restaurant of their design. Not only did they make a menu, but Ben created a kids' menu complete with games and puzzles. Then the four kids spent awhile playing "restaurant". I threw this idea back in the box since they did so well with it. I think next time I'll challenge them to be very careful in the design of their menu and find foods for all sorts of people, not just kids. Maybe even a theme to their restaurant. Plus I forgot to take a photo!
5. This morning, Tommy and Reagan picked out the one to create a train track. The card said to make a big train track and use our wooden blocks to create buildings around the track. They raced off to the rec room to get started. It kept them busy for about an hour or two. The track looked great, but they must've run out of fuel by the time the construction of the buildings started. The huge box of wooden blocks was spilled everywhere, but no buildings. Oh well, they got half of it done, and Tommy (a Thomas train fanatic) was happy.
6. Another idea was to make puzzles. I allow the kids to then take photos of the completed puzzles. I started this idea last summer with them when it dawned on me that we had DOZENS of puzzles of all sorts of sizes, many boxes of which were never even opened. Taking the photos gives them a goal... try to collect as many photos of completed puzzles as possible. They did these three puzzles today after the train track. Reagan took these photos... she did a nice job of staging the photos with the puzzle boxes, too. Maybe a digital camera for Xmas is in her future... I may buy a $1.99 photo book for the photos at the end of summer too.
Hmmm.... what card will they pick out next? What does Mommy do while they work? Today I got 80% of the quilt book for Gracelynn completed. :-) What is the quilt book? Check out this.... 100 Good Wishes Quilt.
Daddy was also very busy. He installed a light between our closets in our bedroom (only took us 5 years to do that one... and the plate was there... just no light fixture.) He also fixed a lightswitch in our master bathroom that's been sparking! Yikes! At least Daddy fixed it! Now I get to go buy more lights to install in the halls to replace all the ugly brass cheapies in our house now. Right, Mike?!
At the end of the school year, I read online a bunch of people's idea for keeping kids busy all summer. I found several lists of dozens (even hundreds) of ideas. So, I created an index box full of cards with suggestions of things to do.... most of which do not require my involvement, especially with my two oldest. So, not always daily, but when I see the kids bored or fighting or getting on each other's nerves, I pull out the box. The rule is they can pick three random cards out and choose one. And yes, it's usually Ben and Reagan that do the picking out... Tommy and Grace just follow along.
So far, they've done several cards.
1. Some of the things they've chosen so far include making paper-bag puppets. Reagan made an astronaut and Ben made an alien. They began making a play for them too... but somehow that got sidetracked. Dang it... forgot to take a photo.
2. Another idea was to create a journal of the things they did this summer. Our Brownie troop was asked to do this too, so that jogged Reagan's memory and she rushed off to begin the journal. We even took a photo of her in the shirt she made at camp along with her hat full of SWAPS (her first entry was about Girl Scout camp).
3. Another recent card from the idea box had the kids draw their silhouettes on white kraft paper and decorate them to look like themselves. After I traced each kid in a silly pose, I then outlined the silhouette in black marker (washable marker doesn't bleed through like Sharpies) and added edges of clothing, bangs, etc. Then I taped each kids block of paper to the hardwood floors with painter's tape and let them at it with crayons. Grace colored her face green; Tommy colored his legs black; Ben made silly eyes and went fast; Reagan took her time and colored for well over an hour. Over the next couple of days, I cut out the designs and then hung them on the downstairs wall near their craft table and craft cupboard.
4. One day they spent hours creating their very own menu for their own restaurant. The idea was to decide what options they would include on a menu at a restaurant of their design. Not only did they make a menu, but Ben created a kids' menu complete with games and puzzles. Then the four kids spent awhile playing "restaurant". I threw this idea back in the box since they did so well with it. I think next time I'll challenge them to be very careful in the design of their menu and find foods for all sorts of people, not just kids. Maybe even a theme to their restaurant. Plus I forgot to take a photo!5. This morning, Tommy and Reagan picked out the one to create a train track. The card said to make a big train track and use our wooden blocks to create buildings around the track. They raced off to the rec room to get started. It kept them busy for about an hour or two. The track looked great, but they must've run out of fuel by the time the construction of the buildings started. The huge box of wooden blocks was spilled everywhere, but no buildings. Oh well, they got half of it done, and Tommy (a Thomas train fanatic) was happy.
6. Another idea was to make puzzles. I allow the kids to then take photos of the completed puzzles. I started this idea last summer with them when it dawned on me that we had DOZENS of puzzles of all sorts of sizes, many boxes of which were never even opened. Taking the photos gives them a goal... try to collect as many photos of completed puzzles as possible. They did these three puzzles today after the train track. Reagan took these photos... she did a nice job of staging the photos with the puzzle boxes, too. Maybe a digital camera for Xmas is in her future... I may buy a $1.99 photo book for the photos at the end of summer too.
Hmmm.... what card will they pick out next? What does Mommy do while they work? Today I got 80% of the quilt book for Gracelynn completed. :-) What is the quilt book? Check out this.... 100 Good Wishes Quilt.Daddy was also very busy. He installed a light between our closets in our bedroom (only took us 5 years to do that one... and the plate was there... just no light fixture.) He also fixed a lightswitch in our master bathroom that's been sparking! Yikes! At least Daddy fixed it! Now I get to go buy more lights to install in the halls to replace all the ugly brass cheapies in our house now. Right, Mike?!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Two weeks into Summer Vacation...
Yeah, what was it I was saying about summer vacation before... I enjoyed it? Ha!
Only kidding. Life is still much easier these days, but I'm beat. I have two little ones that just pick, pick, pick at each other. Whatever one wants, the other needs too. So, we've had a lot of rivalry these days. It's funny though... one minute they are fighting, the next they are best buddies playing nicely. Right now they are drawing on the garage floor with sidewalk chalk (hmmm... how will I get that off without rain and no drain?)
One cool thing happened last weekend though. Yep... we are now owners of Guitar Hero III for the Wii. Mommy is officially addicted and will play the Wii a lot now. :-) My parents were visiting us and brought the game. They're already addicted. (Ok... my DAD is addicted... my mom likes it too though.) Oh, the songs running through my mind these days.... I think Barracuda, School's Out for Summer, and Talk Dirty to Me are most often. I beat "Lou" during the cool Devil Went Down to Georgia song... but of course, that was on easy. I don't care... I don't think I'll ever figure out the fourth button anyway. I'll stick with easy. Anyone out there addicted too?
We are also now the owners of a new dishwasher and microwave. Cool, huh? Yeah... this was just one of those purchases that didn't excite me. :-) It is nice that we have a working microwave without cracks in the door and condensation building up in between the glass panels. We also have a dishwasher whose wheels haven't completely fallen off the bottom rack and can hold more dishes without the middle sprayer taking up so much room. And... for the time being... they are both remarkably clean. LOL In fact they were so clean looking in our kitchen, I felt bad and got down on my hands and knees to scrub the ceramic floor so that it was equally as clean. (I don't scrub floors using my hands often!)
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