I'm really hoping this is my last pregnant WIWS for quite a while.  40 weeks yesterday, and so SO tired.  Thankfully the big kids did a decent job at Mass today, aside from John Paul reading along with the priest's words a little *too* loudly.  And I may have laughed a little too hard when I saw that Cecilia was filling in every answer in John Paul's Magnifikid with the word "CAT" - that's my favorite beatitude, too?

Anyway.

You know those days when you think you look totally fine and then you take a picture to post to your blog and realize that, no, in fact, you don't look so great?

Just me?

This dress is not, I think, compatible with the final weeks of pregnancy.  Too short.  Awkward-looking.  No drape.

Also, do you like our method of babyproofing the fireplace?  Just shove all the toys inside, and nobody will climb in!  As a bonus, when they don't clean up you can threaten to set all their toys on fire.

No, I haven't yet made that threat.  But I have no doubt it'll emerge in the next few weeks...

Of course, John Paul would probably take that as a challenge and then ACTUALLY try setting things on fire.

Cecilia insisted on posing with the Madeline book we got from the library.  Also, how did I not remember how ridiculously trippy those Madeline stories are?  SO WEIRD.  

I'm trying to convince her to grow her bangs out because they look awkward all the time.  She is convinced they are an integral part of her personality, so they stay...

And this.  This face.  I had to include it, because the camera caught my reaction to overhearing Mary Claire and John Paul fighting over something...  

I'm so done.  Baby?  Time to be born. 

Linking up with Fine Linen & Purple for What I Wore Sunday.

Life, life, and more life {7 Quick Takes}

Well okay, before I start complaining...  Two major triumphs lately:

--1--

We went out to dinner (um, at a pizza buffet so I don't know that it really counts as "going out") and everybody behaved.  And ate well.  There was no crying.  Also, we only had to pay for the adults and John Paul, because Cecilia and the twins were free.  But seriously, everybody behaved!!! 

Miracle of miracles.  And you know what happens when life starts getting easier?

Yup, time for another baby!

--2--

And then!  Today!  We went to Costco and THERE WAS NO CRYING!  Everybody ate peacefully and happily and was just generally cute and endearing and it was astonishing!  It kind of makes me feel like, who are we?  Actually representing large families in public without complete mayhem?  I could get used to this.

--3--

But at the same time, there will be no getting used to it because, hey, tomorrow's my due date!  And throwing a newborn into the situation is sure to throw everyone for a loop, no matter how many times we've done this.

"I LOVE you!!!" "I wuv YOU!"

--4--

Oh, want to know what else throws you for a loop?  When your fourth child is the FIRST one who ever starts climbing out of the crib.

Thank you, Mary Claire, for reminding us that we will never be experts at this whole parenting thing.

First she ended up out of her crib during naptime.  So I put her back in, and 5 minutes later John Paul told me, "Mom, you forgot to turn off the light in the babies' room!"

False.  I turned off the light.  Mary Claire climbed out of her crib, climbed up onto a chair, and turned on the light.  Then she started giving Elizabeth all the toys and books she could find.  After the third time, she stayed put and they both went to sleep.

Next day?  I put her in tights, in the hopes that not having any traction from bare feet, she wouldn't be able to climb out.  It worked!

Next day?  Yeah, found her IN Elizabeth's crib.

So I got the pack n play out of the basement and set it up in John Paul and Cecilia's room and confined her there, and they both actually slept.  And John Paul and Cecilia were happily occupied with legos, so they were quiet enough for decent naps to be had by all.

But that night?  I heard far too much giggling, noticed the light was on in their room AGAIN, and burst into their room to find both babies in Elizabeth's crib, trying to wedge Elizabeth under the fitted sheet.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING???"

"Sleepin'?"

So yeah, I moved the chair out of their room after the second time that happened (because moving furniture is what you do when you're 39 weeks pregnant, right?), and she finally stayed put.

"I'm havin' a wittle bit of wine!"  Good thing she's funny.

--5--

THEN (because this is getting so long it needs another take), I was planning on just doing separate rooms for naptime again today, except she had climbed out of the pack n play at the end of naptime yesterday anyway, and I thought leaving her in the room with all of John Paul and Cecilia's things would probably be a bad idea...

SO I moved the pack n play into the babies' room, and Cecilia threw a fit because she had been using it for her baby doll, who is actually a REAL baby, and needs a soft bed and it CANNOT be a basket or a pillow or her bed, and I may or may not have threatened to cut the stupid doll into tiny pieces and throw them away if she didn't stop freaking out about it.

Mom of the year, right here.

Anyway, I put Mary Claire in the pack n play and 15 minutes later, guess where she was?

Elizabeth's crib.  And she had pooped and wanted to be taken to the potty, where she did nothing.

Then 15 minutes later, I went in there again to see her straddling the space between the pack n play and Elizabeth's crib, asking to go to the potty again.

So I stuck her in her crib with the threat that I'd take away her blanket if she came out, and went downstairs to watch Gilmore Girls and eat Halloween candy.

30 minutes later, and both babies were actually asleep!  AND woke up cheerful and were generally awesome for the rest of the day (hence the magical Costco trip)!

--6--

Isn't it so nice that she decided to do this right before we have a baby?  Because you know what I'm going to be able to do a LOT of while nursing a newborn?  Getting up to toss the toddler back in her crib.

Oh wait.

And it's gonna be super-fun for my mom to deal with whenever we're at the hospital having this baby...

At least it's actually pretty funny in retrospect?

--7--



Meanwhile, John Paul and Cecilia spent almost the entire day playing with legos, because we got a giant bin of them from Andrew's dad's house and it's AWESOME.  All the legos he and his brother played with when they were kids, with tons of Star Wars-themed minifigures.  Cecilia's annoyed that there are no girls (I told her maybe we can go to the lego store and she can make a couple girls of her own), and Elizabeth is convinced that everybody is named "Pon Soyo" (Han Solo), which makes John Paul VERY angry.

Anyway, I kind of love watching them create with these things, but the lack of organization frustrates me - what do you do to organize all those teeny tiny pieces?  Do those lego organizer containers actually work?

Okay, done with this stream-of-consciousness post - go read more at Jen's!

What They Said, Volume 13

It's been ages, I know.  I keep collecting these quotes and going for months without posting them!  Here's what they've been saying recently:



Cecilia brings a baby doll to Mary Claire...

Mary Claire: Baby Soft!
Cecilia: No, she's a big girl now.  Her name is Claire.  Rachel's mom Mary had a new baby boy so Baby Claire is a big girl now.  (Rachel is an imaginary friend who appeared out of nowhere a few months ago.  She has a LOT of birthday parties.)
Me: Oh, and what did she name the baby boy?
Cecilia: ...mmmm... Pppp...  Paul.  And Rachel also has two big brothers, too.
Me: And what are their names?
Cecilia: Sam and Paul.  And her dad is also named Paul.

Sounds like this family could use a little help in the name department...



I walk into John Paul and Cecilia's room during nap time to see them each sitting on their own dresser with pillows behind them, turning them into "cars."  Cecilia has set up 3 baby dolls in makeshift car seats on top of the toy box between them.

Me: What exactly is going on in here, and why were you yelling?
Cecilia:  Mom, Peter (John Paul) is driving us but he said he wanted to take us HOME instead!
Me:  And where did you want to go?
Cecilia:  To da baptism and da party!  I have two outfits for da baptism and da party!
Me:  Who is getting baptized?
Cecilia:  My three new babies!
Me:  Triplets?
Cecilia, angry:  NO!  Dese ones are twins and den I had dis one TOO!

(at least last time she gave her twins time to grow up before she had another baby...)

Me:  Oh, what are their names?
Cecilia:  Da twins are Paul and Sparkles and dat one is Claire.

Of course.



Later, after Cecilia has tucked her babies into their "beds"...

Cecilia:  Mom, Paul and Sparkles have to sleep on sleeping pillows because I don't have enough beds for my babies.

I'm pretty sure there are charities that will help you out with that...

Me:  What are you going to do when they wake up at night?
Cecilia:  Dey never wake up.
Me:  But what if they're hungry and need to eat?
Cecilia:  Dey ate several times.  Mom, what's several?

Glad we're back to an intimate understanding of how babies work...

And some from the twins:



Me: Elizabeth, what's your favorite color?
Elizabeth: Ah-ma-di-YOTE! (Armadillo with a T on the end, which is one of her favorite jokes...)
Me: And what's your favorite animal?
Elizabeth: Chickies!



Me: Mary Claire, what's YOUR favorite animal?
Mary Claire: Taaaaamarin!
Me: And what's your favorite color?
Mary Claire: A multi-colored toucan! How lovely!

They've been telling "stories" lately and it's amazing:

Elizabeth: One day, da cow moo-ed.  One day, da cyock started!

Me:  And then what happened?

Elizabeth:  One day da cyock started, and den da cow mooed!
Me: And then what?
Elizabeth: And den da door opened and cyosed!
Me: Then what?
Elizabeth: And people came in! *hushed voice* Da girls came in... And see da goats!!!

Later...

Mary Claire: Once upon a time, dere was a bear eating meat!
Me: And then what happened?
MC: Da bear roared!

Basically we've got a bunch of future authors on our hands over here.

Last one...  Elizabeth was reading a book called "Triceratops for Lunch"

Mary Claire, super-angry:  MARY CLAIRE WANTS TRICERATOPS FOR LUNCH!!!

Elizabeth:  Maybe you can have it for dinner, May Cyaire...

I laughed so hard.  SO hard.

Halloween & All Saints Costume Recap

I don't know when Halloween became a "thing" with the older kids.  I very much do not care about any aspect of the holiday aside from the free candy, because I have always been a rather candy-driven person (I know, I know, I'm 28 years old and still consume WAY more candy than a normal human being).  

But lo and behold, back in August Cecilia decided she was going to be a fairy for Halloween.  And she did NOT stray from her desire.  Andrew wasn't a huge fan, because he'd rather they just do Saint costumes and stick with those, but there is no convincing a 3-year-old.  And really, I found the perfect costume for the dress-up bin, so it all worked out.

I took Mary Claire and Elizabeth to the dollar store to finish up the big kids' costumes on Wednesday - Elizabeth picked out a heart wand for Cecilia ("Mom, WHY DID SHE NOT CHOOSE THE BUTTERFLY WAND???") and we got John Paul a dinosaur hat.  

Flexi clipped her hair, Tinkerbell-style.  Oh goodness she was the cutest!  And after every house she gleefully exclaimed, "Mom!!!  I got CANDY!!!"

The twins were given options from the dress up bins - Mary Claire chose a cow costume but it really barely fit on her, and we had just unearthed the cupcake hats Aunt Sister made for them last Christmas, so she was a...  Cupcake ballerina?  Well, she refused to wear the hat outside...  Actually, she refused to do much of anything.  Good thing she wasn't going to eat any of that candy anyway! 

John Paul wanted to be a dinosaur.  But NOT a green dinosaur (because, you know, we could have borrowed a costume for that and it would have been too easy...).  And no spikes, because, oh yeah, he wanted to be a Utahraptor.  A yellow one.  With brown spots.  And ONE brown spot on his tail.

Um, he kind of looked like Pikachu...  But I had all the fabric already, so it was easy enough.

Elizabeth has been obsessed with those pants since they made their way out of the hand-me-down bin.  And the hat - she wears it all day long.  She got HANDFULS of extra candy during trick or treating because she's so freaking adorable, even though she refused to look at half the people handing out candy because, hello, strangers!  Pretty young women got the full effect of her adorable-ness.  And the man in the blue afro wig.  Everybody else got a face buried in my skirt.

Blurry "Tinkerbell"

Cupcake twins

If there's one thing I've taught them well, it's how to pose for pictures!

Oh wait...

One more shot of the Utahraptor for good measure...

Anyway, we did minimal trick or treating with friends in our own neighborhood (there comes a point where the weak are separated from the strong - Mary Claire and Elizabeth just couldn't keep up with the super-fast 4 & 5-year-old crowd, and neither could I!), but still ended up with boatloads of candy because, duh, four kids.  

"You can each choose 10 pieces of candy to keep for your own dessert supply!"

"Mom, I'm just going to keep it all."

"No you're not."

"Well, just 10 of each."

"Nope."

They didn't even ask what we did with the rest...  Yeah, it's in the basement where Mom & Dad have full access.

Anyway, I've got mixed feelings on Halloween.  There's just so MUCH fuss about a really unimportant "holiday" and a lot of extra work if we're going to observe All Saints' Day properly...  So I told them that if they want to be something that doesn't work with a Saint costume next year, they're in charge of figuring that out on their own...  John Paul has already decided on "Superhero" which just means wearing a cape from the dress up bin.  

Today he was dressed as St. Benedict, although we never did quite make it into full costume...

And Cecilia has been wearing her St. Bernadette "costume" for months.  Mary Claire and Elizabeth were NOT having it, so next year maybe we'll plan better.  Or just not care and go low-key again...  

We were hoping to have a big All Saints party but Andrew had to sing an evening Mass and I was just too tired to plan anything...  And honestly, we spend so much time immersed in the lives of the saints that there wasn't much to do aside from a nice long family litany during bedtime prayers.  At which point somehow we got on the topic of the British Reformation and I had to explain "the bad king" who didn't want to obey the pope and decided to start his own church. (Is he still alive, Mom?  Um, no...)

And then Cecilia wanted to know if he had any kids, and what THEY did, and why did Elizabeth kill so many Catholics?  And we should probably pray for her.

Of course, the expert in British history (Andrew) was out of the house so there was a lot of, "Ask Dad tomorrow!  I don't know!!!" 

Let's just be glad they haven't started asking about Luther...

Enough of a photo dump for you?  This is what happens when I'm 39 weeks pregnant and hit with pregnancy insomnia!

Theme Thursday: Crack?

Well hey there!  I'm still here!  Baby's still in utero, although it can't be long now, right?  38.5 weeks...

Anyway, might as well share some pictures that crack me up!

Get it?  Because "Crack" is the Theme Thursday theme.  And considering I kept getting "little girl butt crack" hits on my blog for a while, I thought that maybe an *actual* picture of what first came to mind would be a bad idea...

(It was a blurry picture of Cecilia with her pants falling down, so I'm not entirely sure why anyone actually wanted to click it from their google image search...  But yeah, deleted it.  Creeps.)

The twins each grabbed a whole apple out of the fridge while I was making lunch, pulled the big chairs out, and sat at the big table eating.  Or "eating" in Elizabeth's case...

"Yook!  It's apple mouf!"

Impish, this girl.  Dictionary definition!

Okay, Mary Claire actually goes to TOWN with her apples and eats them as quickly as possible...

"Show me a happy face!"

(Also, show me your apple peel all over the table, since all you do is chew it up and spit it out...)

"Show me an angry face!"

This one cracks me up the most - she makes that face when she doesn't get her way and it's DEVASTATINGLY funny!

And a cute one for good measure.

Can you believe they're almost 2?  Thank goodness they don't know when their *actual* birthday is, because I may very well be in labor and end up missing it...  But we'll celebrate at some point!

Check out more takes on "Crack" at Clan Donaldson!