New Defense Strategy

Sometimes a team will repeatedly try a certain play to make a goal/basket/touchdown, etc. Team DeWitt has tried various defensive strategies to attain the goal of kids acting like they have some sense. Sometimes the zone defense works. Sometimes it's man-on-man. Generally, these defense strategies work well when used on Eamon and Madeline. They seem to fall for our secret plays on a regular basis with only minimal points for their side. As many of you know, Sawyer is a different story. We are having a very difficult time finding a defense that works for that kid. Honestly, she needs two parents to manage her at a time; one for her mental game and one for her physical game. She is a strong opponent and we struggle to keep up the pace, despite extensive training and watching the replays.

Dear Sawyer,
Our new defense, having tried the shades of gray-is black and white. If you are naughty, you go to your room. If you cry and whine for no reason- you go to your room. If you irritate people on purpose, in an attempt to gain negative attention- you go to your room. If you hurt your brother in any way -you go to your room. If you don't listen to directions within a reasonable period of time or come out of your time out area downstairs- you go to your room. If you come out of your room when put down for nap or bedtime, your bedroom door is locked with you on the inside. Oh, and by the way Sawyer, you are now going to bed at 8 pm, with only minimal exceptions on special occasions.

Try and bust this defense. Oh, and Daddy and I are really on the same team this time because Mommy has finally convinced him that you are not going to "grow out" of your naughty behavior without help from your parents. Go Team DeWitt.

We are doing this because we love you honey,
Mommy and Daddy

The Odyssey

Ahh. A new addition to our family has recently arrived. She is a welcome addition and a dream come true. A new mini-van. We have been putting off the purchase of this car for some time (approx. 1 year) and I could not be happier to drop the cash that it is going to cost us.

I was not always a fan of the mini-van. I always said that I would never, ever drive a grocery getter. I always felt that I was way too cool and stylish to drive such a car. I have always seen the min-van as a clear statement of having "given up." That was until I had three kids and wanted to leave the house without completely polluting the environment and/or spending $50,000 on a car.

I am now the owner (in conjunction with the finance company) of a Honda Odyssey. I love it. Jason loves it. It is spectacular. The kids are an arm's length away from each other, they can watch DVDs and feel comfortable when we go places. Often, when we would go out in our other car (3 car seats all right next to each other) the kids would fight, pull hair, put feet in each other's faces and generally bring their animosity into wherever our destination would be. Now, they are quiet, relaxed and pleasant upon arrival at our destination, and I could not be more pleased. This car has so much room. We left for the weekend on Friday with our three children, our niece and all of our gear and had plenty of room for more.

As happy as the kids are to be comfortable, Jason and I have entered this place in our minds where mini-vans are cool. Jason believes that his man card will not be revoked and I think I look stylish and hip. Maybe we are kidding ourselves. Maybe we're right.

Summer

When the school year was upon us, I was looking forward to the long, lazy days of summer. I was looking forward to sitting on the porch, watching the kids play while drinking a Diet Coke. I was looking forward to seeing my kids enjoy summer in all it's glory: the sprinkler, the slip and slide, the wading pool, popsicles and ice cream. This idyllic imagery has now abandoned itself and I am fighting to stay afloat in the pool of craziness that is the summer.

We have dance lessons for Sawyer, piano camp as well as piano lessons for Madeline, a lawn to mow, flowers to prune, a house to clean (dirt and grass are invading us), wet clothes everywhere, swimming lessons, family members visiting, family members we plan to visit, and so on. The moral of the story is that the grass IS NOT always greener. Summer with three children is just as, if not more busy, than fall, spring and winter with three children. It is time to resign myself to the fact that life with three (I bow down to anyone with more than 3) children is crazy. It is busy. It is madness. Last week, I had my niece here as well. So, we had life with four children. I do not want four children. Avery's visit solidified that notion in my mind, despite her being a well-behaved, helpful NINE year-old. I can't imagine adding an infant to the zoo that is our home. My brother called me last week and suggested that I watch a hilarious video on Hulu. I told him that I would schedule it in at some point. He then referred to my home as a "circus" and asked if he could buy tickets.

The good news is that I have been given the gift of time from my sister in law, Becky. She has had Madeline and Sawyer for the past 2 days, therefore giving me an opportunity to recharge my battery. Yes, I am rechargeable and I can feel my juices pumping again as I take the time to record this blog post. I miss my girls but know that when they come home to me, (tomorrow) that they will have a Mommy who is ready to face the madness again; battery recharged.

On Toys and Imagination

I was so excited when we moved into our beautiful new home because of the playroom located directly adjacent to our kitchen. I am so fortunate to have this room where my kids can play while I go about my business in my home office (also known as the kitchen). Our playroom is packed with toys, puzzles, books, a play kitchen, art supplies, barbies, dolls, stuffed animals and more. You name it, we have it. Our playroom is so packed that I frequently reduce our inventory by taking things to the basement or to Goodwill. The fact is, I should pretty much reduce our inventory to a very small list of select items because my kids barely play with any of their toys. They prefer items that are not necessarily found at Toys R Us, and so I am currently compiling a list of items my children will receive from Santa Claus next Christmas. The following items provide more hours of enjoyment to my kids than any blinking, singing, peeing doll or over-priced video game system:

1. Umbrellas
2. Flashlights
3. Shovels
4. Dirt
5. Water/hose/lawn sprinkler
6. Buckets
7. My old clothes/shoes
8. Cardboard boxes of various sizes
9. Sleeping bags
10. Sticks
11. Mouthwash
12. Toothbrushes
13. Any travel size product
14. Squirt bottles
15. Magnets
16. Brooms
17. Mops
18. The apples that fall from the trees in our backyard
19. Rope
20. Time with Mom and Dad

I am so thankful and proud of my children's imaginations. They have various scenarios and scripts that they play out on a daily basis. They often invent new themes and story lines, and I love to listen to them "act out" their dreams and realities through their play. They often mimic our family life and I love to see them play Mom or Dad and treat eachother respectfully and lovingly. Of course, they have also "played" Mommy when she was having a bad day. That is when I learn from their play; when their job impacts mine, and I become a bit more aware of my actions.

Sawyer Learns Her Letters (and then eats them)

Each morning after breakfast, I attempt to teach Sawyer a letter of the alphabet. We start by gluing the letter to a piece of paper and coloring the letter. While gluing and coloring, we look at and touch the letter of the day (we have puzzle pieces, magnets, etc of all the letters). We talk about things that start with the letter of the day. We eat food that starts with the letter of the day. Madeline is my assistant teacher and is much more in tune with this whole process, having been through it very recently herself. Generally, the food is Sawyer's main focus. As you can see by the picture above, Sawyer could not care any less than she does about learning her letters. Ironically, she is munching on the letter "C" just like Cookie Monster. She can identify the letters only if bribed with sugary food.

The Mini and Me

Several months ago, I decided that the only way that I was going to get out of this house without at least one child (must take one if you leave, DeWitt house rules) was to take up a hobby/extracurricular activity that COULD NOT involve children. So, I decided that I would start running. At the time, I had about five pounds to lose to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight and I figured I could make use of running in two ways: get out of the house sans children and tone up a bit. I fell in love with running the very first day. I have been continually shocked by the profound affect it has had on me; both mentally and physically. My mind is sharper, I sleep better, my digestion has improved, I am more patient and energetic. I feel good.

After a couple weeks of this new regimen, I mentioned that I had begun running to my friend Amy, also a runner. She invited me to join her for a run and we have been getting together regularly for runs ever since. She started training for the Mini-Marathon in February and I joined her for some of her shorter runs. One week before the Mini, she asked if I would like to run by assuming the identity of a 38-year old man named Tom Bailey, a friend of hers who had injured himself and could therefore not run. Having only run a maximum of eight miles, I was a bit nervous. But, why not? Again, this would involve several hours of Katie time and I would walk if I had to.

After various minor obstacles, Amy and I completed the Mini yesterday in 2:26. This was Amy's 5th half-marathon and of course, my first. We ran the whole time. It was such an invigorating experience. I'm ready for the next half-marathon....as soon as my legs stop aching.

Yes, You Can Touch

In my constant efforts to be a more fun Mommy, I am trying to let my kids touch and do in most circumstances. Gone are the days of cringing when my kids get dirty, come into contact with germs, make a ton of ridiculous noise for no reason, or do a "kid friendly" job of "helping. " So, "yes Sawyer, you may splash in that puddle while wearing your good shoes." "Yes Madeline, playing in the dirt is totally acceptable in that new shirt." Yes kids, you can frost the cake your way and I will do my best to let go of the need for constant control over everything. I surrender. My kids are now allowed to veer from their strict bath schedule and be a bit dirty from time to time. If all meals do not include the recommendations of the Food Guide Pyramid, oh well. Three children has been an eye opener; it has pushed me to the limits as I try to do it all. I have come to the conclusion that I cannot do it all. And that is ok. So this is a little bit blog post and a little bit self-induced therapy.

Recently, I have been embracing the fact that kids need to touch, feel, splash, get dirty, be loud, wear mismatched outfits, brush their own teeth (before I finish the job, I married a dentist), help with tasks that they are less than proficient at completing, smell everything, inspect every leaf and rock while walking, open and close an umbrella 100 times per day, use a flashlight when completely unnecessary and so on. It is all part of it. Yes, everything I do with my kids takes 45 minutes longer than it should but my kids are enjoying the experience. And I am enjoying watching them. The extra 45 minutes that I build into each task is probably the reason regular bath time has gone out the window. (ie.."hey Jas- do you remember when Eamon had a bath last?)

The kids "made" me a cake for my 34th birthday. It was all I could do not to "fix" their decorations. I took deep breaths and repeated my mantra, "kids learn by doing, kids learn by doing...."