Easy, Baby!

I get asked all the time if Coltin is an easy baby.

The short answer is yes. His personality is easy-going like his dad. He doesn't have the intensity his brother and I have. He is patient and content most of the time. I guess the fourth kid has to be that way, right? 

That said life since he arrived is anything but easy. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE our life now. I love the daily challenges and I LOVE spending time with each of the kids. But Jerry and I are both spread very thin right now. That individualized time is definitely not so easy to come by. This is evident in the behavior of both Justin and Savana. They seem to be SLOWLY adapting. Two steps forward and one step back is fine as long as we stay ahead!

Often Coltin sits silently for a while as the other kids go about their chores. A normal scene at dinner time is Coltin in a bouncy seat on kitchen table, Me trying to cook and plate dinner but tripping over Justin and his race cars on the floor and Justin begging for candy repeatedly as I tell him dinner is almost ready, Savana trying to clear and set the table but getting distracted by EVERYTHING, Ciara trying to get drink orders but no one is listening. It gets loud...then suddenly as if to remind us not to be so serious Coltin will start to put his two cents in with babble and noise. If we take a moment to look at him he grins from ear to ear saying, "Mommy, give everyone time to stop and smile at me!"

I am always looking for ways to "set this circus down" but Jerry reminds me I LOVE the circus. We will find ways to slow down this weekend. And then Monday it will be right back to the rat race.

And when the kids are grown we will miss it.

Fall 2011

Colorado Trip

I thought we were going to go a whole summer without leaving the valley. We spent the first half of our summer waiting for Coltin to arrive. Once he got here, we took him on a road trip. Nothing like the close quarters of our suburban to get to know him and get reacquainted with each other!

Going to try again

So I have started a blog twice over the last year and half and you can see how far I got.
Going to try again. Stay tuned...

learning to talk

Last summer we learned to walk. Took all summer and it was scary! Lots of falls. Lots of bumps.

Learning to talk has made this summer so much more pleasant.

Airplane, slide, play, I want milk, please (finally), snack, and he loves learning the names of everyone he meets.

Now, why does jump have to be his favorite words?

We jump off the couch, over the back of the couch, and have found him on the dining room table with arms back ready to "jump". I tried positive reinforcement for good behavior, "Wow, that is so nice, what a nice boy to SIT on the couch and read your book. Mommy is so proud of you...no, no, no, sit down, please sit on your bottom, no jumping, you will have to go to time out, OK, so sorry time out."

Why did I have to remind him that he was sitting so nicely and could instead be jumping. So much for positive reinforcement.

Laundry is done!

It only took 1.5 days to do laundry this week.

It took 2 last week so that is an improvement. Every week I try to get it all done in one day and every week I fail that one little goal.

The problem with it taking more than a day is that then I am putting clothes away and the basket already seems full. If I take that laundry back downstairs with me the pile never ends. Only 6 days pass and it is time to do laundry again.