Falling asleep

One way we survived sleeping in one hotel room with 5 people was to make a game for the big kids. We gave out huge prizes for the winners of the sleep game as well as some special privileges. There wasn't any real money involved, but sometimes you got the first pick of seats at the table or the last packet of fruit snacks.

The winner was defined as the person who fell asleep first and another winner was the person who slept the longest. Mom and dad were disqualified from this game, but it really helped the big kids.

A major problem is that William prefers to read himself to sleep until he cannot hold the book anymore. It isn't unusual to find him passed out with the book across his lap, chest or face. We've seen it all. He comes by this genetically. I'll let you guess where it comes from. William is the back up again around 6 am and he has no sense of how loud he is when others are trying to sleep.

Amelia falls asleep very quickly (I suspect she still needs a brief nap, but refuses to take one. This, she totally collapses at bedtime.). She also usually sleeps in a little longer. However, in true little sister style, if William is up, she is ready to go. She will not miss a minute nor be a step behind.

Gemma needs the most sleep, but at the youngest, she is the last to let go. If there is going to be a party, she will NOT miss out. She will hold out for quite some time just in the off chance something exciting happens.

Getting all 3 of them to sleep in the same room is very tricky.

Enter in the sleeping winners. If the big kids are quiet and even just pretending to sleep, then Gemma will let go as will Amelia.

One night, everyone was in bed and everyone was supposed to be sleeping. Amelia was all tucked in, eyes shut and very still. I would have guessed she wasn't sleeping, but I wasn't sure.

I quietly reminded William that he needed to settle in and go to sleep so he could be a winner tomorrow.

Which is when this conversation happened:

Amelia: William won't be the winner. I am the winner because I am asleep first.

Daddy: Amelia, you aren't asleep if you are still talking.

Amelia: yes I am.

William: if you were really sleeping, you wouldn't be listening to us talk.

Amelia: yes I am. I am talking and listening in my sleep.

Daddy: that's enough. It's time to sleep.

Amelia: I'm already asleep. And I'm a winner.
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Safety town

Amelia just completed a two week day camp called safety town. It is put on by the city we live in and covers all kinds of topics to help kids stay safe. The kids talked about stranger safety, crossing the street, railroad tracks safety, car safety, poisen control, gun safety, how to call 911, and a few other topics.

The last day was a graduation ceremony and the kids wore their graduation hats while they sang a song and recited her poem. Both are too long to put up here, but Amelia did a great job.

Hot tub, please

We were eating lunch this week and I was talking to the kids about their upcoming swimming lessons. Gemma perked up when she heard the word swimming.

Gemma: swimming? Swimming mom? Mom! Mom! Swimming?
Mom: yes, we will go swimming.
Gemma: I swim!!!! Swimming suit!!! Yes!!!

(All of a sudden, she swung her head back toward me as if an idea had just occurred to her)

Gemma: swimming suit?? Hot tub?? Babpa? Babpa? Hot tub?
Mom: you like to sit with grandpa in the hot tub?
Gemma: (head in hands with a dreamy look in her eyes) yes. Yes.

Then I had to figure out a gentle way to break it to her that she wasn't signed up for lessons, so she wouldn't need her swimming suit, and grandpa wouldn't be there.

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Amelia conversation

Background:

We were at the resort with my family and we were discussing getting ready to go to the pool. With so many of us, there is always some strategizing to get people anywhere. Who is going? For how long? When are you going? What are we going to do after that? Has anyone seen my missing ____________ ?

Amelia picked up on the fact grandma might be swimming immediately.

Amelia: grandma! Grandma! Do you really have a swimming suit?
Grandma: yes, I do.
Amelia: you do? Why haven't I seen it?
Grandma: well, the swimming suit is ancient and I'm not sure I want to wear it.
Amelia: you should wear it! It will be so fun! I'll show you how I can (insert pool tricks Amelia has mastered).
Grandma: well, I'll look at my swimming suit and decide if I think it will be okay.

(Later, at the pool)

(Grandma walks in wearing her swimming suit)

Amelia: oh! Look! There is grandma! She looks beautiful in her Egyptian swimming suit! I've never seen an Egyptian swimming suit!

Apparently, if something is ancient, it must also be Egyptian.

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Gemma is not allowed at the splash pad

There is a park by our house that has a splash pad area. Basically, it is a small concrete area that has sprinklers shooting out of it at random times. There is a more standard swings and slides park adjacent to this park. This summer has been a small battle as some days aren't conducive for splash pad. If we have to go somewhere else, the kids will be soaking wet when we get there. I also don't always have towels and extra diapers on hand in the car. Other days it is too crowded/rainy/muddy.

This day, I told the kids NO SPLASH PAD. I can't remember why, but everyone was very good about listening. That is, until Gemma discovered the drinking fountain was malfunctioning.

The fountain still worked, it just had too much pressure. When the button was pressed, the water over shot the fountain by several feet.

Gemma was fascinated. She would not leave it alone. After a few minutes, she had it figured out. If she pressed it and then stuck her head out far enough, she would get her head wet. Despite my protests and attempts to distract her, Gemma managed to play with the fountain until she was totally wet.

Good thing the splash pad was off limits, right?

More crazy

This piece is the portion we completed this last weekend. John built yet another retaining wall. This one is in our backyard under our deck. The grass didn't really grow because it didn't get enough sun.

The wall and rock look really nice here and make me wonder why didn't do this years ago. While we were back there, we cleaned up the patio and the steps of the deck. The backyard is much nicer looking now!

The problem is that we STILL HAVE the rock pile currently on the driveway, even with all of these additional projects. Next up, John is going to try and squeeze a little extra rock in a few other places and then built yet another retaining wall to hold what we hope will be the last of the rock.

Although this rock turned into WAY more than we had planned, our yard is looking nice. For the last 3ish years (since my pregnancy with Gemma), we have just been doing enough to get by and not worrying about really making things nice again. It was just too hard with 3 little ones and not enough time. It makes me happy every time I drive up and see how nice everything looks.

I think I would be happier to drive up and see the driveway missing the rock pile, but I'll take what I can get!

I love crazy, an update

As of this morning, here is the rock pile remaining on our driveway. It feels like it is never going to go away! We have added multiple projects that weren't planned until we had the big pile to use up! It's hard work, but things are starting to look nice!

The second photo shows the area we initially purchased the rock to fill.

The last picture here is where we extended our retaining wall in the front yard to join it to our front step. It looks really nice and like it has always been there. We filled this area with rock from the big pile.

After that area was full, we had left over rock, so we repurposed the edging pieces from the mulch and created tree rings. The two tree rings are just barely visible in the first picture in the series.


Of course, I am incapable of writing about this without reminding you all that we wouldn't have this problem if we had used my rough estimate when ordering the rock (I have to hold this victory near and dear as it may be the ONLY time in my marriage when my estimation will be correct. I will fully admit that I am NOT a person you want to trust with giving you an estimate for anything. John is so precise and careful, he is almost always correct. Therefore, I have to take full advantage while I can. The opportunity likely will not come around again soon.)