No Glasses and Non-Stop Lucy

Oh it's been the usual flurry of activity around here.


First Scrabble game with my daughter. I have dreamed about this day.

Did I tell you we got a composter?

We got a composter. I am a crazy composter now. Did you know you can compost match sticks? Human hair? String? Well now you do. It feeds the crazy animal in me that hates wasting anything. I swear in my former life I must have been a child of the depression (right now Erin is reading this and thinking about the fact that I have been known to save and freeze a single strawberry--for smoothies).

The big kids and I enjoyed a rare outing of just the three of us last week, as we concluded spring break (which must be the biggest misnomer in the history of ever). We explored a new playground and can I just say that taking two big kids to the park is my new version of a spa day? So relaxing (comparatively speaking).

I also got a sitter this week so I could take Leo to the opthomologist (no glasses needed--I'm a little surprised but relieved). Leo, on the other hand was bummed, and so disappointed he actually followed the doctor into his office asking, "Where are my glasses?" (Peter Parker wears glasses, you know). In spite of the crushing news that he did not need his vision corrected, Leo was his usual amazing self at the doctor (not even fussing when his eyes were dilated). When I returned home one baby was napping peacefully (cough, cough, Harry).

One, was not.

Why nap when you can eat Mommy's takeout lunch treat (thank you, Chipotle gift card). And she didn't even know she liked guacamole.

Lucy. Oh, Lucy. At some point you will read this and please know that I say this with all the love in my heart that when I put my head on my pillow at night, it's the not the waves I hear crashing (like after a day spent at the ocean)--it's the sound of your voice. The screeching, the squealing, the whining, and of course, yes, the laughter. It's you, with your unabashed loquaciousness, your 110 miles an hour way of being, it's your has-to-do-things-your-way-OR ELSE. It is your Force of Nature self, (yes, in all of its cliche glory, it fits you to a Capital T.)

But of course there is the flip side.

I was SHOCKED that she sat for a full dental cleaning last week.

She can also be incredibly agreeable and helpful. She looooves to help. "You got it!" is her response to almost every chore type of request (she loves to retrieve the broom from the mudroom, for example, or clear her dishes from the table). Recently I asked Ellie to get me the iPad from upstairs and a few minutes later, down padded Lucy, "Here you go Mommy!" she said, her face, beaming with pride. There was Ellie, a few feet away looking sheepish: "Well, she's very responsible!" she offered.

The hours between 6pm-6:30pm continue to be the most trying (dinner is over, babies are winding down by winding up, or so it seems).

Good thing I employ one of the best toddler yoga teachers around.

Bedtime does of course eventually come. Listening to Harry and Lucy chat in their cribs, as Lucy asks Harry "How old are you going to be on your birthday, Harry?" (We've been practicing this question with them for the upcoming big day). He replies, "Fwee!" And then she counts, "One, three, seben, nine, eleven, TWENTY!" 

And just like that, all the screeching and whining falls away. 

 

Summer Tease

Friday I felt downright victorious because we played outside without coats (poor Harry, such a creature of habit--he can't figure out what's going on when he doesn't need a coat--as soon as he hears "play outside" he runs to the mudroom, grabs his little navy blue down jacket off the hook and commands me, "Put my coat on!"). Lucy is no better--she insisted on wearing her Flipeez hat on today's neighborhood walk (high temperature: 79 degrees).




A rock, a trowel and a fairy skirt. She has a PLAN.

Then this weekend happened.


It was 82 degrees. Wait. WHAT?


Tomorrow it's supposed to rain. Not snow. So we're good.

Thursday's List: Super Heroes, Captured Souls, the Energizer Bunny and Eiffel Tower(s) in New Jersey

1. Art and Photography:


Leo recently completed his best to date (in my humble opinion) family portrait. (Left to right): Mommy (Wonder Woman), Leo (Spider Man-OF COURSE), Lucy (Super Man), Harry (Bat Man), Ellie (The Flash Girl), Mama (Green Lantern) and flying high above is of course our dear, sweet, beloved Ruby the Super Dog.


Meanwhile Lucy mastered her very first face.

Ellie's first grade "spring portraits" came home. I never order these and consider them to be somewhat of a scam-- (I'm a traditionalist and normally just do fall).

But then then they had to go and CAPTURE HER SOUL. I mean, really.

2. Food:

The Nutella obsession continues. Every day, post-nap.

Is there anything better than Nutella? Well. No. And by the way, we are now the family that goes through three to four loaves of bread. A week. (Did I mention I finally realized in the midst of last Friday night's "pizza night" that we have officially graduated to needing two pizzas? Thanks Lucy who eats just the cheese off of three slices).

Speaking of Lucy and food, she and Harry have switched places when it comes to their eating habits. He used to be the "easy" voracious one, willing to try anything (Seasoned tofu! Dried seaweed!) and almost always cleaned his plate and asked for more. Now he pushes many of his former favorites away. You know what else is fun? Aside from macaroni and cheese, neither of them like to eat the same thing. Wait. Do Goldfish count?

This morning Lucy ate three pieces of toast and asked for more. Growth spurt? Perhaps. I mentioned this and Ellie piped up, "Maybe she's getting ready to hibernate! That would be relaxing for you, Mommy!"

3. Lucy:


Hello my name is Unadulterated Joy!

It's such a cliche but I have to use it. Lucy is the Energizer Bunny. She makes her presence known at all times, from the moment she awakes at 6:15, softly singing "Let It Go," (it quickly builds to an urgent, pressing crescendo of "MOMMYMOMMYGETMEOUTMOMMYMOMMY!"). Much of the time she is full volume, going 110 miles per hour while the rest of us are strolling along around at 25 (or if you're Harry it's closer to 15). She is insistent, demanding, unreasonably verbal and often hilarious. She does almost everything with a smile on her face, including pouring a cup of water on the floor or taking her pajamas off right before bedtime, making it difficult to get too angry with her, even if her behavior is ridiculous.



 The other day I overhead Harry and her playing together. She'd injured some body part and began pleading with Harry to "KISS IT! KISS IT! KISS IT!" That's when Harry piped up with "Relax."

I don't think any conversation in the history of conversations has better summarized the personality of two little people.

And yes, I MIGHT tell Lucy to Relax! oh, about 97 times a day.


I read something recently that said that said when you start to lose patience with your mind-numbingly impossible almost three year old (OK those were my words), you should look at their tiny feet, as a reminder that they aren't this small for very long. In short: Yes, I lose my patience every once in a while  And yes, I'm an incredible sap.

4. Harry:

Harry's speech continues to explode. He's starting to have little conversations (with himself and others) and it's SO nice that he's finally able to TELL us what he wants and needs and likes (no surprise there: Super Man, dump trucks, garbage trucks, police cars...) He repeats everything (See: "Relax!" and has picked up some adorable little expressions like "That was a close one!"



Harry and Lucy now mostly have free reign of the house. I've pretty much given up on keeping the upstairs gate closed because it never fails that right when I'm in the middle of making scrambled eggs, Harry decides he HAS TO HAVE HIS RACECAR, the one that's in his crib. Oh sure I could send a big kid up to open the gate but it's much easier to let them go up and down as they please. The same now goes for the basement playroom which is VERY EXCITING. Things can get a little too rambunctious sometimes when all four of them are down there but often during the day I send just the twins down while I make lunch or prep dinner. Invariably Lucy spends more time marching up and down the stairs to "Show me something" (Can you say Social Creature) but they still enjoy a bit of independence. As do I.


They love to "hide" in our bed. Or Ellie's. Or Leo's. And pretend to be "sleeping." Trust me they are SO not sleeping.

5. When the Past and the Present Come Crashing Together in a Beautiful and Heartbreaking Way:
A few days ago I drove into the city with the twins and as we sped along the New Jersey turnpike Harry kept pointing out the "Eiffel Tower" (also known as cell phone towers and verrrry tall utility-type towers? I guess?).  Poor kid. (By the way, he knows about the Eiffel Tower from books, "101 Dalmations" and a small Eiffel Tower pendant that I wear on a chain around my neck-he's not that well traveled yet).

Today on our way downstairs from nap, a photograph caught Harry's eye, it was one of my mom and me, almost fifteen years ago, standing in front of, yes, the Eiffel Tower. He'd never noticed it before but was immediately ecstatic and repeated "Eiffel Tower! Eiffel Tower!" over and over again. That's when I crouched down and pointed at my mom and said, "That's Grandma Eleanor. And that's Mommy." Again, Harry repeated. Lucy, standing just a step below Harry on the stairs, looked on with equal interest.


My mom and me, 1999. 

And then just like that the moment passed. Lucy took Harry's hand and said, "Come on Harry, I'll help you go downstairs." They proceeded to scoot down on their tushes as they are apt to do. But this time they were holding hands. Holding. Hands. "Here Harry, I'll help you," Lucy said.

And as I looked down at the backs of those two little heads, Lucy's a wild mess of untamed blonde curls and Harry's, a ruffled, chocolatey brown and growing out little boy haircut, that's when, just for a brief few seconds I felt so overcome with grief that it almost took my breathe away. I was once again reminded: She's missing this.

And then we had to get sweatshirts and shoes and a race car to hold and just the right My Little Pony to carry. It was time to pick Ellie up from school.