Just so Random...

Wake up call is usually 6:30 - 7:00am and that is coming from Kitty's crib next to my side of the bed, which I actually declared mine while I was pregnant with the girls since it was better for my back for some reason. Take her down and sit with her so she doesn't freak out since when she wakes up she likes to be held and then she will crawl down and play or walk around when she is ready. The big kids are pretty good about getting themselves up and ready for school, with Anthony I'm sure it helps that he doesn't have to be out the door until 8:00 this year.

I have given up on them taking their lunch to school, it's one less stress I need in my life. I have everything there, however, my kids are just lazy. I'm sure they are either eating their friend's lunches or taking their own money. I refuse to send them to school with lunch money when I have lunch stuff for them. It's ok, makes nice lunches for the girls since the big kids don't touch all the yummy stuff. Of course when they get home from school they raid the kitchen because they are starving. My money is on them having a bag of chips or a cracker from friends or something. I get on their case about eating the whole fridge since I make dinner fairly early any more and they get home at 4 now. I gotta make dinner around 5 - 5:30 since the girls need to eat and start the bed time process that takes several hours. I usually have a compromise with the kids, either you do the dishes and pick up the table and I watch the girls or I'll do the kitchen and you watch the girls. Anthony usually likes to pick the kitchen only cause picking the girls involves diaper changes and pajama changes. He doesn't mind it unless he has to do the wild one...Catherine.

It's funny on Wednesday's or Thursday's when Cisco is here because he is somewhat familiar with the routine...at least the routine up until about 2:00pm. Since he is usually out the door and at work by then. I will see him heading upstairs with Charlie or Cecilia at 7:00pm and I always ask what he's doing. He will say he's going to take her upstairs so she can go to bed. I usually have to remind him that at 7 she gets her bottle but she stays down here, since she will play after drinking some and then actually be ready for bed at 8. Any sooner than 8 usually results in having to go and get her because she crys so much.

It's just the little things that I have gotten used to. I know the little quirks they have, what certain cries mean and what they like to do and when. I know that if it was him here all day and all night it would be the same. He is such a good dad, he figures it all out, he does everything without complaint, he offers and suggests to stay all day with the girls so I can get out of the house. It's always nice but of course by the time I'm out and walking around somewhere I regret going and wish I would have stayed home. His day's off go by so damn fast that I just want to be with him. It's that time of year where we have to try and keep the girls in the house as much as possible due to flu and RSV season but if I go anywhere I want it to be with him, girls or no girls.

It's so rare that we get to go out alone. Either for the evening or for and afternoon just to go to the store, I dread going home when we are alone though. I wish for the life of me that when we do go out we could talk about anything other than the kids, but it is impossible since they are such a big part of everything...they are everything. But, when we are alone together I miss it just being about us. Us being able to make it about us. I know that it will happen again because it happened with the big kids. We were able to go out for a whole weekend and leave A&O with the grandparents because we knew they would be ok, we knew that they could help with things or partially take care of themselves. We were able to do that little bit of letting go and focus on ourselves...finally. Just like with the 3 C's they were the only subject talked about at dinner, in the car, getting ready for work, AT work. But I had noticed that as kids get older and not that you lose sight or focus on them, you are able to let go a little bit and get back to what you used to be before all the kids. You can sleep in a little longer if you want, or go grocery shopping alone while they are hanging out at the house. It was nice, everyone enjoyed the little bit of leverage that they were given, made us feel more free and the kids LOVE the little bit of lead way.

Now we have two different trials and tribulations that we are going through. Raising teenagers and toddlers. I always thought the teenagers part would be much easier. No, I was wrong. I have to set boundries that will keep them safe and their heads on straight while still letting them explore and learn the world on their own. No boyfriends or girlfriends right now, they don't argue about it cause they know Cisco and I won't hear any of it. We had said it should be funny when they do start dating cause I had said if they want to go out on a date they have to take a sister with them. They looked at me like I was crazy when I told them about it. "WHY?!!!" It's easy...it will keep them honest and their shirts down and pants up. If they take a little sister they can't do anything they shouldn't be. Not only would they do or be able to go anywhere you can't take a 3 or 4 year old, they would get tattle taled on so much. Forget the chastity belt...take a toddler! It's just scary out there...always has been but much more now.

I'm not looking forward to dealing with the teenage thing twice in my lifetime. At least I'll have the other two out of the house and be given a little bit of a break before it all starts again!