Hump Day Report

We are only 4 days into life without house guests and I'm starting to want someone to come visit!  It was nice having other adults to talk to during the day (yes, Myke, I know you are an adult (sometimes) and work from home, so I DO get to talk to you, but only in short spurts, so it's a bit different).  At the same time, it's nice to be back on my own with the kids.  After 3 months of virtually non-stop extra sets of hands, I had started to wonder if I would be able to pick up where I left off.  Would I be able to handle four kids on my own again?  In reality, I have only had 4 kids on my own for a short less-than-two-month stint between when my mom left us in March and when she returned with my father in May!  So far, it is going well.  The boys and Chloë are in preschool both Monday and Friday mornings, and I think that will be what keeps me sane.  Just knowing that I have those two mornings to relax just a little, catch up on other aspects of my life, etc.

Yesterday I took all four kids to Kid Ventures again.  It's an indoor play area here in San Diego.  It's great because it's contained, has all sorts of fun things for the kids to climb on, slide down, dress up in, push, play and pretend.  AND they have a full-service coffee bar for the mommas.  What more could I ask for??   The kids run off and do their own things for the most part, besides Ella, of course.  She just watches and takes it all in.  When she gets tired I just pop her in the Ergo (baby carrier) and she falls right asleep snuggled up to me.  The only "challenges" are when someone needs a diaper change (take them all to the bathroom?  Leave the other 3 on their own in the play center?)  and getting to and from the car safely (we had to park pretty far from the door today as the parking lot was quite full).  Like our trip there last week, yesterday was another success!  And by success I mean, no one had a major breakdown (myself included), no diaper explosions, no one got lost, hurt, sick, run over by a car, etc.  Success!

The boys at Kid Ventures

Heading back to the car....all holding hands and being good listeners. 

I had to stop and capture it!

Chloë holding Ella's hand at her 6 month well-baby visit (Monday afternoon)

Ella is 17.7lbs and 28 inches long (off the charts in lenght!)

Healthy as an ox!

Owen helping Ella with her sippy cup. 

He's such a sweet big brother!

The boys playing with their new sorting fruit pie.

A pretty cool learning toy I bought on Amazon.

They loved sorting and naming the colors this morning.

Where Is Everyone??

The Hines Four

So here we are.  Mid-August already.  How did this date arrive so fast?  After three solid months of houseguests (plus or minus a few days here and there) the last of our Summer visitors have headed home.  Having people stay with us and be part of our daily lives and routine (or lack thereof) has been the new norm for us, and I'm not sure how it will be without people here...quiet??  Is that possible with 4 kids under the age of 5?  Will it be lonely?  It has become so normal for the kids.  Chloë has asked me quite a few times if "after these guests leave, can we start over??".  She wants to start the cycle again with Gramma & Grandpa visiting, then Aunt Helen & Aunt Traci, followed by Myke's sister and her family, then the Stocker family, then Mom-Mom & Pop, etc.  She really loved having all the different visitors.  

I tried to do a count and I think we had 21 different people spend the night here over the summer, some for a month or longer, some for just a night.  And, honestly, it has been a lot of fun!  There is definitely an entertaining aspect of it that can be exhausting after 3 months straight...but we didn't really let that happen because we kind of stopped "hosting" and expected our guests to just help themselves when they needed something.  We already have 4 kids and a dog to feed, so we weren't exactly cooking up big breakfasts and meals for everyone.  Sorry!  That's just the way it goes.  We couldn't keep up with that for 3 months, even if we wanted to!   The Hotel Hines is no bed & breakfast...  I like to think we offer a "working holiday" of sorts for our guests.   I think most people understood...and everyone who came pitched in in some way or another, whether it be taking the dog out in the morning, walking the kids to preschool, running to the grocery store, helping with baths and bed, doing dishes, etc.  It's a team effort.  If it takes a village to raise one child....imagine four.  

Right now the house is a disaster downstairs.  Breakfast dishes are all over, the dishwasher needs unloading, the carpet needs a vacuum, clothes need folding, the guest bed needs stripping... but instead of doing all that, I'm taking a breather and writing this.  Now that Chloë, Owen and Eli are all in preschool on Monday and Friday mornings, I'm really looking forward to a little quiet time to myself during that time.  The "should do's" can wait right now.  Ella is napping.  There is about 20 minutes until we need to go and pick up the kids (those morning are nice, but man do they go by fast!).  I'm looking forward to those two mornings per week to run errands with only one child in tow, get some things done around the house, just sit and have a few moments of peace and quiet, and to just have time with just Ella.  Ahhhhh.....

On another note, last weekend we had both Ella & Elijah baptized.  One summer, three baptisms!  Here are some photos from that and a few other occasions:

Post- Baptism Photo

La Jolla United Methodist Church

(Pastor Walt is in a t-shirt as it was the end of vacation bible school this particular Sunday and they were celebrating that during the service as well)

Elijah and his godparents:  Vanessa & Hagan Briggs

Visiting from Virginia

Ella and her godparents:  Anie Benton & Hunter Walker

Ella & Hunter

This is the Christening gown that I wore when I was baptized as a baby.

Chloë wore it at her baptism in July 2009, as well.

Hagan & Ella

the girls!

Ella nuzzling Vanessa

Breakfast at Ki's on the beach.

(photo quality not that great...)

I'm a big girl!  

Portable "high chair" contraption.

Ella & Myke

Gramma sent a new Wisconsin shirt for Chloë

Ella is sitting up on her own now!

New pool toy.  I couldn't resist!

And last but not least: Heidi!

Super-Woman!

Our very first non-family member to babysit all four kids!

Actually, the ONLY person to take on ALL FOUR kids by herself...at bedtime!

She put all four to bed...Ella doesn't really take a bottle so we weren't sure how it would work out...but it was fine..AND Ella slept 7:30pm - 5am straight (after the past month waking up every night between 1 & 3am...ugh!).  We need Heidi to come every night!  

I don't think I have even had to put all four to bed on my own...

Heidi is awesome!  

The "Good" Camera

At this point, when I say "the good camera" it means "not my cell phone camera".  I actually do have a really nice digital camera...this is "the good camera" that I speak of.   We bought it right before Chloë was born so we could take quality photos and video footage of our little precious baby and all of her amazing talents....like smiling...and spitting up...and all those fun things that babies do.  I'm making an attempt to bring out "the good camera" more often.  The iPhone camera is uber-convenient...but, when it comes down to it,  it just doesn't take quality photos.  Here are some photos I took on my birthday this past Wednesday.  

It's SO HARD (i.e.; nearly IMPOSSIBLE) to get a decent photo when the subjects 

include 4 children under the age of 5!  

I actually LIKE this one.

In fact, I LOVE it!

If you had told me on my 30th birthday that my 34th birthday would look like this (above) I would NEVER have believe you.  NEVER.  

Owen LOVES his baby sis

He is such a sweet big brother

Ella started sitting up this past week (and drinking from a straw...and eating solids)

When Ella wakes up...this is the scene!  They run in and climb up to see her!

She LOVES it...nothing makes her smile and giggle like her brothers and sister.

Self-portrait 

34th birthday....I still can't wrap my head around it. 34!!

Myke & Ella

Pop & his West Coast Girls!

I love this pic of Chloë and Ella with their Pop

We were sad to see Thom & Maureen head back to the east coast after their month-long visit, but we have been left with many memories made...and a lot of fixes done to the house--thank you, Thom!  I emailed him our on-going "to do" list before he arrived and I think he actually did every last one of them, from touching up some scuffs on the wall in the guest room to installing new hardware on the master bathroom cabinets and drawers.  Of course there were one or two "additions" to the list that occurred during their visit: Chloë riding her scooter into the wall and taking a chunk out of it.  Aren't scooters for riding outside?  What kind of parent am I?!   Anyways, that was all patched up within hours of the incident.  It was nice to have a live-in handyman for the month!  Don't worry, Pop, I'm already working on the list for your next visit in November!  

Pretty in Pink

Chloë & Maureen (aka Mom-Mom)

Yah, we went out for coffee and a bagel on Route 101 here in Encinitas on Friday morning while

Chloë, Owen & Elijah were in preschool.  

Didn't feel guilty about it at all.

Then we went shopping.

Still didn't feel guilty!  

:)

Preschool

Owen & Elijah headed off to their very first day of preschool today!  It seems funny to start on a  Friday, but that's just how it worked out with the beginning of August happening late in the week.  So they'll be going both Monday & Friday mornings from 8am-noon.  Chloë attends those same times (and also Wednesdays).  

According to everyone there the boys had a great day (just a few tears from Owen about 10 minutes after we left in the morning and another time when he saw Chloë on the playground).  They were playing happily when we picked them up at noon.  Nothing much to report...and that's a good thing in my book!  

Myke took some photos before we headed to school this morning:

Big sister is excited her brothers will be joining her at school!

My babies!

Owen

Ella- happy to be an only child for the morning!