Myke & Me Plus ThreeFour

Things are busy around here, as usual. I rarely, if ever, find time to post these days. This morning was particularly hectic for some reason. Well, first off, mornings are almost always chaotic...but somehow they are usually an organized chaos. It's a whirlwind of diapers, clothes, bottles, and breakfast. It starts around 6:30 or 7am (on a good day!) and the dust doesn't settle until about 10am when the boys go down for their nap. Why today was crazier than normal, I do not know. Maybe it was because we stopped to pick tomatoes off the plant and that just threw a wrench into the whole thing?

Fresh picked tomatoes from our Costco tomato plant!

Whatever the reason, Myke and I were both running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to get people dressed, fed, pack Chloë's lunch for preschool, attempt to keep our poor little teething-Eli from crying at the drop of a hat (unsuccessfully), and get ourselves dressed and ready at the same time. Again, I don't know why today felt crazier than normal, but we just could not get ourselves together and we were literally running out the door to get Chloë to school on time. She went to school with neither her hair or her teeth brushed. At least she wasn't in her pajamas. I know, I know, I have three small kids. I should feel lucky that we even ever get out of our pajamas and that I get a shower every single day. It is just a well known fact around here that I am a bad mom if I don't at least get a shower in the morning. I NEED that to wake up and start my day. Otherwise, I feel yuck and then my attitude is more on the yuck side of things. Not good for anyone. Some people need a pot of coffee. I need a shower. Then a pot of coffee. :)

The kids are all doing really well right now, besides the teething with Eli. He has been out of sorts for over a week. His bottom gums are swollen and red and he is just fussy fussy fussy. None of my kids ever seemed to be fussy with teething when it was the front teeth. I barely noticed a change with those. However, Myke and I have a VERY clear memory of the MONTH LONG molar-teething session in June 2010 when Chloë became "CHOLE" (must say it in a deep, scary voice). Okay, I'm letting the cat out of the bag. We have a code name for when Chloë is in a "mood". It's "Chole". Myke will come in from work and I'll let him know, "Chole is here today", giving him the heads-up that our daughter is in beast-mode and to tread lightly. (On side note, the name "Chole" came from my Grandma Thomas- though she probably has no idea- every time she writes a note to Chloë or sends a check for her birthday or a holiday it is always written out to "Cholë Hines". She even gets the two dots over the "e" but just mixes the letters up...honest mistake...). Anyways, I'm rambling...but Chole was here for an entire month straight when Chloë was teething and it was close to unbearable. We may or may not have researched into boarding schools for babies at that time. But obviously we got through it and a month later, Chloë arrived back in our arms with 6 new teeth and we couldn't have been happier. Now it's Eli's turn. We're hoping that Owen won't give us as much trouble. So far he's a tough little guy. He can take a lot more pain than the other two. For example, he got stung by a bee last week and we only knew because Myke heard him make a little grunt sound and he opened his little balled up fist and a dead bee fell out of his little hand. Stinger was right there, as well- which I took out with tweezers - then read that you are supposed to use a credit card as to not pump more venom into the wounds...oh well, it was my first bee sting. Anyways, maybe molars won't even phase Owen. In fact, maybe he's even teething right now and we just don't know. Man, I hope so.

Wow, I'm really rambling on about teething and chaotic households. This must be the most boring blog ever. Is anyone out there?

Let's do some pictures:

Eli & Owen at the playground.

Owen climbs up the big slide by himself and then throws himself back down it.

He does it over and over.

Taking them to the park leads to near heart attacks for me now that they climb

everywhere.

This wagon is great!

Jax & Chloë after swim class

I finally got Chloë back into swim lessons. We started her in swim class when she was just 3 months old and then did it on and off at various swim schools for about a year but then stopped. It was pricey, one of the pools was too cold and she would be turning blue 1/2 way through class. Another pool was always so crowded you could barely move, another place expected you to make it to class 3x per week, etc. So we just ended up not doing it anymore and lately I've been thinking that it's time for her to start it back up. She's 3 now, which "they" say is a good age to start swim lessons. Apparently, they can really actually learn to swim at this age. I guess any younger and they are just getting used to the water more than anything. So we are doing lessons with a friend at her pool. Just started last week. Chloë seems to like it, though today's class she was freaking out about putting her face in the water. Sounds like she needs more exposure to it so I'm glad we're doing it. We live so close to the ocean and bay so that's another reason it's important for her to know how to swim.

Hard to see this pic but the boys are standing up on their little play slide inside and looking out the glass sliding door.

Oh, did I mention that I ran in my first marathon last weekend?! The San Diego Rock N Roll marathon. Yah, well I only ran a couple miles but I can now say I ran in a marathon (if I really want to be a dork and say that). A good friend of ours, Anie, was running it and we went to cheer her on at the 20 mile mark. It was fun to see her run by...and fun to run a bit with her to help push her through the tough spots. Such an accomplishment!

Elvis stopped for a photo op with Chloë

Boys watching the runners (Owen making a bizarre face- I think he's wondering what kind of crazy people really want to spend HOURS running, while their feet blister and their bodies chafe and bleed..good question, Owen)