"Nice Geese"

For several months, Jackson has regularly requested to either go to the museum or to feed the geese.  After the geese attacks a few weeks ago, Jackson asked if we could find some "nice geese" to feed.  We went after preschool to one of our old favorite parks that we haven't been to in a few months. (You might recall the incident that made us stop going to this particular park.) 

It was quite hot today, but we found nice shady spots under a big gazebo. Jackson ate a popsicle while I fed James, Amelia, and Maddie leftover chicken tetrazzini. 

I've been using the double umbrella stroller and Ergo a lot lately. I opted for the quad stroller today because there is a very large loop around the lake and I suspected Jackson would be tired after school. Plus, Maddie and I get hot in the Ergo outside.

I was more than amused that Amelia was the only one who noticed our surprise visitor. She was jabbering away at the goose while Maddie and James continued to play.

The babies watched Jackson feed the ducks and geese.

We were elated to find several baby ducks swim towards us. A nearby hotel employee (who didn't speak English) watched and smiled at us. She suddenly pulled a quarter out of her purse, bought some fish food, and held her hand out for Jackson to take.

After a long walk, we found another shady spot under a tree to play. It is evident that Jackson doesn't understand the difference between ducks and geese.  He continued to tell me, "See, Mommy. He a nice goose!"

We managed to stay cool and avoid any meltdowns. The only curveball in our afternoon was a potty break in the van. (There are no public restrooms so I brought the potty with us.)  All in all we had a very pleasant afternoon at the park.

Mini-Golf: Take Two

After 36 hours of spraying Lysol, steam mopping, and bleaching soiled laundry, all was well with our home again.  While I couldn't have prevented a stomach bug, I did learn a few things from our failed attempt to go to the park on Monday.  I decided to go first thing in the morning and to bring the quad stroller. 

We were all in good moods to begin with, but I was even happier when the office manager handed me the ball and clubs and told me there was no charge.  Free mini-golf? I'll take it!

Jackson's first time mini-golfing was quite comical to watch. Thank God nobody else was on the course or we would have had to leave.  He zigzagged from one hole to the next, in no particular order. He swung the club around a few times unsuccessfully.

Then he picked up the ball and dropped it in the hole.

When I discouraged him from doing that, he decided kicking it would yield greater success.

Then Jack found a stick to use as a club.

I gave up on playing the game myself but I was highly entertained watching and redirecting Jack. When we got to the 18th hole, I tried to warn him that he wouldn't be able to get his ball back.  This was cause for some serious investigations.

After golfing, we toured the various playgrounds. 

Jackson was excited to use the chair swing.

Each baby got a turn swinging, but Amelia was by far the most amused. She just laughed and laughed.

The weather was gorgeous, but HOT.  Apparently NC is bypassing spring and rolling straight into summer.

James and Maddie shared toys in the stroller.

Jackson and I found a big open field to throw our ball around. I tried to teach him the game of jacks where you throw the ball up and clap before you catch it. He said, "Silly, Mommy. I'm Jack, not the ball." I guess it went over his head. (pun intended)

This particular park also has a large lake where you can go fishing.  We don't own any fishing gear, but Jackson tried to fish with a very large stick. We saw turtles, fish, frogs, and ducks.

The boys rested on some rocks while I snapped the cutest photo ever.  I promise this was candid!

We were all enjoying ourselves so much that I lost track of time.  By the time I realized how late it was we were a very long way from the parking lot. Keep in mind, the quad stroller alone weighs over 80 pounds.  The combined weight of all four kids is 75 pounds.  Now imagine pushing that weight up large hills on trails covered with loose pebbles.  I was drenched and breathless by the time we got to the van.

At least the kids were able to get some rest.

I'm so, so happy that our second attempt was a success!

Fun Excursions

In between all the really terrible, stressful things that happened this week, we also managed to go on several fun outings.  Here are the highlights:

Feeding the ducks...twice. 

Wagon rides: AKA "Let's play footsie until we fall asleep."

Rescheduled Valentine's party:  Jackson could not have been any happier at this Buzz Lightyear he received from one of his classmates
.

Discovery Place Kids: I finally got all three babies at the water table and Amelia had a meltdown.  Maybe she still has a little diva left in her after all.

While making a necklace in the craft area (hello, fine motor skills activities) Jackson continuously ate the Fruit Loops.  God only knows how many fingers had touched the pieces of cereal or how stale it was.  Sigh... 

Park: Thursday was absolutely gorgeous all afternoon so we spent over an hour at the park.  I met up with some of my new Charlotte Mommies friends.  It was the most relaxing park experience I've had in a while and Jackson wore himself out playing.

Impromptu visit to the local fire station: Seriously people, these were the best looking kindest  firefighters ever.  They picked Jackson up, took time to show him every detail, and explained things in kid-friendly ways.

 

I had called the department a few hours prior to make sure it was fine for us to drop by. Jackson was absolutely precious and so polite.  Of course he loved the trucks, but he was especially amused at the beds and the fact that firefighters sleep there.

I am so thankful for these fun moments.  If not for the many smiles, I could have never endured the more challenging moments of the week.

"A Special Glove"

Yesterday proved to be a typical North Carolina day with crazy weather patterns.  There were strong thunderstorms in the early morning, clear, sunny skies in the afternoon, and downpours in the evening.  Thankfully, we caught a few hours of 70° sunshine and headed to one of our many local area parks.  Jackson surpsingly wanted to sit in the stroller, which meant I could walk the full mile trail around the lake.

I carry a sleeve of saltine crackers or a bag of stale bread in the van at all times.  You never know when the opportunity will arise to feed ducks.  Since feeding ducks is one of Jackson's favorite pastimes, we spent a respectable amount of time tossing crushed up crackers onto the ground and lake.  A few of the ducks started to line up before we even got the crackers out, waiting to be fed.

After walking around the loop, we stopped at the playground.  We go to this particular park for the walking path, fountain, and hungry ducks-- not for the playground.  I've always thought the playground was poorly designed because it's very closed off with lots of hideaways, making it impossible to supervise your child by merely standing in one spot.  Jackson climbed and ran around, but the slides had enormous puddles at the bottom from the morning storm. 

Thank God I happened to be directly in front of Jackson when he kneeled down and exclaimed, "Look, Mommy! It's a special glove."  Just as he started to pick up the glove, I immediately realized what it was and screamed, "NOOO!  DON'T TOUCH THAT!"  As I got closer, I confirmed that the "special glove" was indeed a used condom.  A very well used condom.  [insert expletives here]



Take a closer look

My strong reaction opened the floodgates to every question possible.  "Why, Mommy?  What is that?  It okay. I not touch it.  You throw it away? Why it on the ground?"  As I was getting my hand sanitizer out, another boy much smaller than Jackson was crawling under the space and nearly slid on the condom.  I quickly got him up, asked him where his Mommy or Daddy was, and took the child to them.  When I alerted them that there was a used condom on the playground, the mother said, "Oh, Christ!"  We all looked at one another and the dad said, "I'll take one for the team".  He had a few slices of bread left in his bag that he dumped out.  He turned the bag inside out and used it as a glove to pick up the condom and dispose of it.  There was an unspoken solidarity between us parents, then we burst out in nervous laughter and immediately left the park to go bleach our children.

More Firsts: Sunshine and Snow

With sunny skies and a temperature of 64° on Monday, we headed to the park.  I was determined to have a more successful experience with the quad stroller.  I'm happy to report we didn't have any major trouble this time around.



Maddie fell asleep again, but I put James and Amelia in the swing for the first time.  I wish I had taken video of Jackson.  He was absolutely precious pushing the swing back and forth and playing with them.  He would let Amelia kick him when she swung in his direction, then fall down laughing.  He had both of them giggling. 

I hesitate to mention that I had Jackson pee behind a tree not once, but twice.  We were out for a long time and this particular park has a half mile walking loop.  When nature calls...

We continued our spring-like day with a trip to SweetFrog for some frozen yogurt.  It took three people to push and pull the stroller through the narrow doorway.  It's hard enough not to cause a scene when you're toting around four small children, never mind getting a massive stroller stuck through a doorway.  I just wanted to leave, but the stroller was wedged halfway through the entry and the employees ran up and pulled it entirely inside.  While Jack and I enjoyed the yogurt, I felt a bit foolish (again) knowing I was going to have to repeat the process just to get back to the parking lot.

The crazy weather pendulum swung the opposite way the following day with a high of 31° and a forecast of snow.  All the schools in the area closed early on Tuesday and were cancelled on Wednesday and Thursday.  Our snowfall was minimal.  Of course, I wanted to get a picture of the babies in their first snow, but I waited too long.  Over half of the snow had already melted after their morning nap.

Jackson was pretty apathetic about the snow.  He was more interested in feeding the babies Gerber puffs and trying to find his Batman gloves.

We have yet another "snowday" tomorrow which means no preschool for Jack or work for Jesse.  Who knows what adventures we'll find ourselves in... 

Quad Stroller vs. Mom

My days of relying on the Ergo and double snap-n-go are numbered.  I want all of the babies to be able to look around and interact with things.  I worry that I'm hindering Maddie by keeping her in the Ergo so frequently.

Last Friday I decided to take the bull by the horns and finally use the quad stroller in public.  We headed to the local recreation center for some warm, indoor play.  It was every bit as difficult as I expected it to be.  

Before leaving, I had practiced opening, pushing, folding, and lifting our Foundations Quad LX stroller into the van.  I repeated the process three times to make sure I was comfortable.  The stroller alone weighs 84 pounds, and is quite awkward to put in the van. 

I debated whether or not to mention this little tidbit, but I could have seriously harmed all four children.  The whole time I was practicing with the stroller, I had (unknowingly) never opened it fully.  I had pushed the seats back as far as I thought it could go and assumed it was open all the way.  It strolled fine in the driveway. 

Once we arrived at our destination, I lifted the stroller out and unfolded it just as I had practiced.  I buckled the babies in their seats.  But as soon as Jackson sat down the whole damn thing collapsed and folded up...with all four kids inside!  I know, I know...mother of the year right here.  Praise God, I immediately unfolded the stroller and was relieved to find everyone unscathed.  Not even the slightest fuss was heard.  Whew!

We quickly went about our business pretending like I hadn't just tried to crush my children.  I was able to steer the stroller with one hand while opening doors with the other hand.  I pushed it through doorways with ease.

We're fortunate to have a recreation center just a few minutes from our house.  Their playroom is free to the public.  (Think of a McDonalds Playplace on steroids.)  The babies and I talked and hung out while Jackson played.  Jack was initially reluctant to navigate the maze of tunnels.  It didn't take long before he was running around like he owned the place.  We had the place all to ourselves for fifteen minutes or more before other children and parents came to play.

By the time we left, I was back to my confident, calm self.  Those feelings didn't last long. My greatest challenge by far was folding the stroller back up and putting it in the van.  Again, during my practice runs, I had apparently not opened it until it clicked.  Therefore, I had easily been able to fold it back up. 

I loaded the kids in their carseats.  They were warm and safe in the van while I proceeded to close the stroller.  It took EVERY OUNCE of strength for me to collapse it.  Words cannot express how hard it was to push the tiny red button to release the lock.  It involved excessive sweating, cursing, and numerous failed attempts on my behalf.  I debated on asking one of the many bulky men that passed by to help me.  But I couldn't bring my stubborn self to admit I didn't know what I was doing.  I even thought about going back inside to play for another hour until Jesse came home and could get us.  At last, I was able to release the lock and collapse it. 

I know everything about this post sounds ridiculous and I feel completely foolish, but I swear it was the most challenging thing I've done in a while.  I made Jesse close it and it took him a long time too.  I watched him struggle just as I had.  I guess I'll just keep practicing and hope that it gets easier. 

So help me, in this stroller war, I. Will. Win. 

Foundations Quad LX Stroller

Not gonna lie...so far I hate this beast.  I've only taken it on walks around the neighborhood because the double and Ergo is so much easier right now. 

Here are the disadvantages to this stroller:

• It is SO heavy.  According to the website the assembled weight is 84 lbs!  I can't imagine folding it up and lifting it out of the van by myself. 
• It's wider than I expected, which makes me nervous to take it out in public.  I have no clue what I would do if I had all four kids strapped in and I couldn't fit through the doorway.  I had a hard enough time staying on the sidewalk.
• There is a bar/rail that goes along the front, but it just snaps off if the slightest bit of weight is put on it.  I chose to take it off because I was worried Jack would accidentally lean on it and fall forward.
• The canopy is so long and the stroller is so tall that I can't see everyone.  There is a tiny mesh rectangle that I can bend down and peek through to see the girls, but I have no view of the front two seats.  I kept stopping to make sure James was still content. 
• The front seats are so open; there's nothing to catch any fallen objects.  James dropped his pacifier and Jackson dropped Clifford. 
• There is no cup holder.  I never carry my purse with me.  I'm accustomed to putting my phone, keys, and water bottle in the two cup holders of the snap-n-go.  I don't like not having quick access to those items. 

I don't know that I'll ever grow to love this stroller, but I'll get used to it.  It's really easy to maneuver, very spacious, and I got a great deal on it.  (It retails for $500, but we purchased it for $375, including taxes and S&H.)  Once the babies outgrow their infant carriers, I'll be forced to use the quad stroller more frequently.  Since the seats are designed to fit children up to 50 lbs, I expect to be able to use this stroller for at least two years. 

I hope to give a more positive review in the coming months as I become more comfortable using it.

Ten Life Lessons

FYI, this is my 500th blog post!  Crazy!

Here are some things I've learned in the past week:

1. Home Owner's Association has way too much power.  Jesse received an e-mail saying we had two weeks to have the exterior power washed to remove mold and algae build up.  If it is not cleaned within two weeks, we will incur fines of $25 per day.  We have no choice since we signed a legal contract with HOA.

2. Those awesome Glad OvenWare dishes can resist heat of 450 degrees.  However, they will completely melt under the broiler.  We almost had a plastic pot pie for dinner.

3. Moving fragile ornaments to the top of the tree does not keep them out of reach from a persistent toddler.  Jackson pushes chairs around to climb up and play with the ornaments.  We've got quite the pile of broken Hallmark ornaments accumulating. 

4. The measurements of the frame of a stroller don't necessarily include the width with the wheels attached.  The Foundations Quad LX stroller is a beast and it doesn't fit through standard doorways.

5. Just because a formula is hypoallergenic does not mean it will taste good.  Maddie refuses to drink the Similac Alimentum, even if it is mixed with breastmilk.  Thankfully, she doesn't mind 4 oz of breastmilk fortified with one scoop of Enfamil Gentlease. 

6. Don't let your demented husband be in charge of hiding the family Elf or this might happen:

7. Cats are loyal and they will stick around FOREVER.  Even after evicting the cats, removing their litter boxes, and refusing to feed them, they still wait by our doorstep all day.  We can't get rid of them.

8. When you let your toddler sleep in the bed with you once, it can quickly become a habit.  Gone are the days of reading stories and tucking Jackson in his bed.  He regularly falls asleep in "our bed". 

9. Instant grits and quick cook grits are not the same thing.  After three failed attempts, I gave up on the cheaper canister of quick cook grits.

10. It's hard to enjoy a girl's night out when you're staring at the clock making sure you're home before the next feed.  Nothing ruins a cute outfit more than leaking boobs.