Can you help a brother out?

Monkey boy was never destined to be the youngest in the family.  I knew from the time that he was a wee babe, that he would be an absolute tyrant if he remained the youngest in the family.  So it is a good thing that he is an older brother, even if he's only older by three months.

He definitely looks at LB as his younger brother and often tries to bail him out of situations.  Here is one example:

Here is LB with a guitar stuck on his head

As you can see, he has the strap twisted around and so cannot get the guitar off himself.
Enter Monkey boy, looking concerned and being told not to take the guitar off LB as he needs to do it himself (with our coaching of course)

Finally, Monkey boy can't stand it anymore. He doesn't actually take it off, but he motions (in apparently a much more effective manner than his mom) how to untwist it. LB achieves success.

And here are the first attempts to show you video. All the videos are super short as when we took them we thought we had a limit of 20 seconds. Turns out we have 90 seconds. Oh well.

This first video is of Monkey boy who devised this cool ride using a Rubbermaid bin and a slide (sorry, the only way to show you the video is to link to our Flickr page) http://www.flickr.com/photos/froisies/8404928310/

This clip is of LB trying to get into a bin that "is not working"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/froisies/8418761794/

This video is of Monkey boy helping his brother out

http://www.flickr.com/photos/froisies/8403841451/

In the last blog entry, I talked about putting LB into a bouncy thing to see if he'd jump.  Here is video of that: http://www.flickr.com/photos/froisies/8396997968/

We also put Monkey boy in it  http://www.flickr.com/photos/froisies/8395912967/

This video is just plain silly.  Be sure you can hear the music Monkey boy is playing for the full effect  http://www.flickr.com/photos/froisies/8397019860/

Both my big boys had birthdays recently. Here's Bob with his Ninjago cake that I made


D's birthday was the day after we had a "The Hobbit" party. At the party I made two cakes, one is "the one ring to rule them all" (point of fact, it can't really be cut as it is in the picture), the other is "Sting" the Elven blade.

I don't know if I mentioned this before, but I have been asked if I have two sets of twins - the older boys and the younger boys. The older boys, okay, I get that. But these two? It only looks like Monkey boy is substantially taller than LB. They're actually much closer in height. And look at this act of love...Monkey boy has the infamous "dot blankie" around his little bro!

I snapped these two pictures the other night. I had to document that Monkey boy does stay still at times.  The first picture is LB, probably trying to hide the fact that he's sucking his fingers which is a no-no (bad overbite):



By the way, that other monkey in the picture has an unusual name. When Monkey boy received it, we asked what its name should be. We're thinking "Curious George" or "monkey." Nope, he responded with "Citizen." Yeah, he's a different kid, but we all know that don't we?

Here is that different kids playing "guitar" with one of those Fandex cards of the states. Arkansas is the neck. He knew it was Arkansas. I don't know how he knew, but he knew.




 The other day he was picking up some small scraps of paper on the floor and he said, "Oh look, it's Oklahoma!" You be the judge...(I actually mounted the scrap of paper to the green piece so it wouldn't get lost. I put the penny there so you can see how small the scrap really
was.)

The most quotable quote of the week was from Monkey boy:
 "I burped in my pants.  God designed me to do that."

How do you teach a kid how to jump and do you have days like these?

Well, I forked over the $2/month for unlimited photo storage.  I guess now that I am paying for it, I'll be more inclined to make use of it! I tried to import videos, but it didn't work.

So how do you teach a kid how to jump? We'd love to know as we have been trying to teach LB this skill.  He gets the up and down motion and enjoys being on a trampoline, but he never gets lift-off.  One of the kids' aunts gave them balls on which they sit and bounce around the house. We thought that would be a great thing for LB as it might encourage him to get his feet off the ground. 

This first picture shows LB starting to roll off the ball. His feet were actually touching the ground at the time, but it does require balance to stay on it.

The next picture is LB getting mad that he rolled off the ball.

This shot is once again showing our yin and yang. Notice that Monkey Boy is airborne as he passes by LB (like the Michael Jordan tongue?) I have never had to teach my kids how to jump, so we've tried various things to no avail.  My brother-in-law wondered if LB never had time in one of those jumpy things you hang in the doorway.  Babies love that, so we thought we would give it a try. 

This picture reminds me of what babies do when you hold them and let their feet touch grass.  I did have video to show what he did, which I shot for the sole purpose of loading it on the blog.  Sigh.  Suffice it to say, he had lots of fun bouncing up and down, but would still not take his feet off the ground. 



 We stuck Monkey boy in there for fun. Yes, this picture is blurry, but it gives you an idea of what he was doing in the jumper.


Even though the holidays are over, LB has not forgotten the power of presents.  This is his first Christmas with us, so I don't know how or if he celebrated Christmas in China. I do know he likes his presents.  The other day I was reading someting about "God's presence" when he brightened up and said, "I wan presens!"  We typically have 4 Christmas gatherings, so there are plenty of opportunities for opening "presens."  Here are our kiddos with their loot at home:



Here is what LB thought of one of our big family gatherings.

Now, I just want to know, do you have days like these?  I was in the kitchen when LB announced he had to use the bathroom.  I was excited by his initiative, so I told him to go ahead and go.  When he does #2, he is supposed to call us when he is done do we can help him out.  When I heard sounds indicating he'd gotten off the toilet himself, I went to investigate.  It wasn't a pretty sight.  He had already started the process in his diaper, leaving evidence of that on the toilet seat.  Then our "in training" child decided to plop himself on the carpeted bathroom floor (how's that for visual imagery?) also leaving, ahem, evidence.  So before 8:30am I had already showered one child and shampooed the carpet.

Shortly after I had finished shampooing, I heard Monkey boy in the other room talking about stacking chairs.  He had decided to try to get something that was on top of the cabinet.  Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord, that I saw this before an attempt was made to utilize this "ladder."



The "highlight" of the day had to be before lunch when the older sibs and I were inside getting ready to take lunch outside.  Big D says, "Uh, Mom? "Monkey boy" is walking around without his clothes on."  I'm thinking "without his clothes on" means his shirt is off, or even his shirt and socks.  Oh no, there he was, walking around like Adam before the fall.  Perhaps the most shocking part of it was that he was doing the "I'm a Daddy and I know it" dance (see it here if you don't know what I'm talking about  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8xcBmj1sn8 ).  Here is the wild child in a picture suitable for family viewing.



Not sure what tomorrow will hold, but we will see!

By the way, our paperwork is finally headed to China!!!!

Watch this video

This will produce a smile on your face.  http://vimeo.com/55307071  These are the kind of people I look at and say, "How do they do it?"

If you can't watch through that link, try this one through YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rztYMMhMT2Y

Call me Phil

I made an announcement at dinner today that my name was no longer "Mom" nor was it "Mommy" or "Mama."  Bob suggested "Phil" and I like it.  I have heard my name today too many times to count.  I've heard it mostly as a term of protest.  Right this moment I am hearing it because someone is having issues getting his pajamas on.  He isn't asking for help (the sleeves are now inside out), oh no.  He is taking my name in vain (or my former name since I am now Phil) by whining and continuously calling out "Mama."

It's been a rough day, really since nap time on.  Right before nap the triplets were all singing the "Whine-a-lu-yah" chorus.  Kimi was mad because she got into trouble playing with toys instead of getting into her bed (the nerve).  LB was complaining because I dared to tell him to get into bed using his right foot first which was akin to asking him to row up Niagra Falls.(Let me just say that his right side is his stronger side.  So much so that we started insisting he use his left side, which of course he hated with a burning passion.  He became so proficient at his left side that I figured we'd better exercise that right side.  He apparently forgot how to get in with his right side)   Monkey boy was mad at some decision I made and took a swing at me with his "dot blankie."  Bad move, really bad move.  Dot blankie was confiscated (which is worse than getting disciplined) and so "precious was lost" (for you Lord of the Rings fans).  That set him off in a way that would finally come to an end several hours later.

I finally got the three of them to nap (no small feat) and came downstairs to upload pictures, only to find that I had reached the limit on my flickr account.  I then tried to open a new google account to co-author my blog (and get more pics on) which didn't work. 

 A little while later Monkey Boy (MB) awoke early from nap, which never bodes well.  So began the "mighty monkey meltdown" such as the world has never seen (I can't verify this, but am pretty confident it's true).  I'll spare the frightening details.  Have you ever read "The Taming of the Shrew?" Or how about "Band of Brothers?"  (I'm sure you are wondering how in the world the two can be related).  Here's what it boiled down to, someone's will had to break (the will that insisted that dot blankie needed to be his that very moment even though dot blanket would not come out of hiding until bedtime, IF there was a change in attitude) and the other someone had to "hold the line" and not break.  It was not pretty. 

The "someone" had to be put into solitary confinement (which is the bathroom, and is nicer than it sounds.  We have a carpeted area where the sink is, and the commode is in a separate little room.  I would have opted to stay there myself if I could have gotten away with it.  I stay close by and encourage whoever is in there that he/she can come out when he/she is in control.  The door is not locked and I will state again for the record that I would have been glad to lock myself in that room).  Monkey boy did all he could to get out of there without calming himself down.  At one point he started yelling that he was choking (which he of course was yelling using copious amounts of air).  When I went in to state that he couldn't be choking he started doing this dance that made him look like he was stomping grapes to make wine for his whine.  I laughed.  He was not amused.  One of us had to break (and boy was I close), but after about an hour, he calmed himself down and the battle was won.

By the time that was over, it was time to make dinner.  I looked forward to some peace and quiet in the kitchen when LB came down.  Then it started, "Mommeeee, wassa this Momeee? Issa a gabage truck Mommeeee! Mommeee, wassa this? Issa a crane Mommeee! Mommeee...." you get the picture.  I think he did slightly pause for a breath between questions, but I can't be certain.  I finally suggested that he go do something exciting...in the other room.

Then Kimi came down.  Dinner was almost ready.  She asked for a snack.  No snack, dinner was almost ready.  The "Whiner express" went for another trip down the tracks.  To the "reign it in room" she went where she thankfully got it together much faster.

We had dinner and LB decorated his shirt with half his bowl of soup. I told him to go change into his pajamas, which brings us to now.  Where he is still complaining and taking my name in vain.  Yes, it's been a long day.  Bedtime is near, I can make it... I think I can I think I can I think I can...

Signed,
Phil

Winter fun

What??? Two blog posts in the same week?? Yes, you can tell when I am still on winter break.  Just a few more precious, very precious days left.

I thought I would take this ppportunity to post some fun pictures from the end of 2012.

First up we have fun with laundry...that is laundry that is not theirs:

 Here is Kimi fully decked out in her older brothers' clothes (yes that is a pair of shorts she is wearing as pants)

Then we have Monkey boy doing a little dance with some fancy pants



LB is the ultimate laundry thief, but he opted just for socks

The next series of pictures shows what the triplets did on a day after it had rained.  I told them they could get as dirty as they wanted...this once.  I told them to splash and play in the puddles.  Problem is, we live on sand, so most of the puddles vanished overnight.  So remember that I actually GAVE permission for them to get dirty.  The triplets.  The messmakers. They were allowed to get dirty.  Here's what happened.

Here's LB putting on two different shoes, not sure either are his...



They managed to find one decent puddle, but do you see what they did? They pushed up their pant legs so they wouldn't get dirty!!! Huh???? Who are these beings and what happened to my children???



LB thinks the whole thing is hilarious.  Check out the rock that Monkey boy is about to drop into the puddle.  Only by the grace of God did that not come into contact with toes.



They had lots of fun in that small puddle.  That is, as long as there was water in it.



This is a very dejected Monkey boy asking, "What happened to all the water?"



It was really amazing to see how clean they were getting dirty.  They had lots of fun anyway!



We have a tradition of making gingerbread houses every year, so this year we got to introduce LB to our yearly event.  I specifically told anyone within earshot to not give LB his gingerbread house until I explained what we were doing.  Apparently that fell on deaf ears, and LB promptly flattened his house (mind you, each house is made from scratch and painstakingly put together). We dubbed his creation, "Hurricane Sandy."

Here are pictures of the pros and their creations:






After Monkey boy had eaten all the candy off his house, this is what he did to it.  We called this piece of art "Annihilation"

<
Okay, this has nothing to do with gingerbread houses.  This is what happens when you tell a child to "lay out his pajamas."  He lays down with his pajamas.  I guess we still have a few language issues to iron out. 

Happy New Year!

So how do you like the new look? In all honesty, the change was not intentional.  I lost my "lists" that used to be on the side of the posts and tried to get them back.  After spending way too much time wrangling with layouts, I lost my original background and couldn't get it back. Oh well, I like the groovy new look.

Hopefully I'll blog more this year, especially since this will (Lord willing) be an adoption year.  Then again, you've heard me say that before...

Speaking of the adoption(s), we are hoping to have our paperwork into China within the next few weeks.  It was February when we started the paperwork on this adoption, and the year was filled with many ups and downs.  Adoption is not for the fainthearted or the wimpy.

While we are on the subject of wimpy, or rather, wimping out, we have a new theme song for our family.  It's to the tune of "The Adams Family" and goes like this:
 
Never give up (snap, snap)
Never give up (snap, snap)
Never give up, never give up, never give up (snap, snap)
No whining or complaining
No moaning or no groaning
No wimping out or quitting
Because we never give up
Never give up (snap, snap)
Never give up (snap, snap)
Never give up, never give up, never give up (snap, snap)

Why do we need such a theme song? Well, because we still get these responses when any remotely physically challenging skill (like getting into one's bed) is presented:


I have a few new parental tools I have added to my arsenal (and I do mean arsenal as this is war). Sometimes when I am met with one of the looks you see above, I get a pocket mirror out and put it in front of his face.  Usually he starts laughing, but other times he is greatly not amused (now he knows how we feel).  The other thing I've done is to turn my back on him when he's having one of his "I don't want to do this" fits and start flipping through a catalog.  That one is very effective as he is now receiving no attention.  He's usually dumbfounded and stops the complaining.

As many challenges as we have with his physical skills, we have none with his mental abilities.  This kid is a sponge.  We have magnetic letters on the refrigerator and he loves to ask questions like this: "Whas a this one, Mommeeee?" "It's a 'Y'" "Issa a 'Y' Mommmeeee." "Yes, it's a 'Y'" "Whas a this, Mommmeee?"  "I just told you, what is it?"  "Issa a 'Y'"  And so on and so forth.  I can only tolerate that game for so long and then I suggest that he do something far more exciting in the other room.  Apparently this repetitive alphabet game was doing him more good than I realized.  I decided to quiz him one day as I saw him correctly pointing out letters.  To my surprise, he knew 23 out of the 26 letters of the alphabet.  That put me in my place!

Wrangling three toddlers continues to be a challenge (and no, I have not gone on auto pilot with my three older ones, I just don't wrangle them anymore).  I had a very "blog worthy" day last month in which I had to deal with two "accidents," one by a tod going through potty training, another who momentarily forgot she was potty trained.  That amounted to two separate baths and shampooing the carpet all before breakfast.  I made breakfast, started school with the kids, and cleaned up after breakfast, only to come upon this scene:

That's the Wonder Twins ("WTs" for those of you new to the blog) who have gotten into a big box of unshelled walnuts. To their credit, they cleaned up the walnuts, but all the papery "skin" had to be vacuumed, which added again to my tasks for the day. It was a long day. Before I close this first post of 2013, I want to leave you with some Christmas card picture "outtakes." These actually made it onto the card.



Nice, huh? I took about one zillion pictures before those. Getting pictures of all six kids looking happy and sane is difficult. This is especially difficult when you get a kid like this in your mix...awfully cute and awfully rascally. I told his father we would pay for his sins one day. We have a picture of James and his family taken long ago. The rest of the family looks nice and posed...and then there's James making a ridiculous face. I knew that would haunt
us someday.  This is someday.
This is our rendition of "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil." How appropriate, isn't it?

More naughty Monkey boy pics
Happy New Year to you all!