Crazy Carpets

They aren't just for kids.

They are for everyone, including super pregnant women - if you are careful getting on, which I was pretty good at. They are also awesome on the slightest incline, like our driveway.

Amelie and William got them for Christmas and I have no idea who gave them - Corey knows. Today, during outside time after school, I watched Amelie and saw how fast she was going and thought - yeah ... I could do that. So we carefully set down the blue one, got on and Nikki and I went for a ride. It was pretty awesome and we went pretty far and the climb back up wasn't bad - which is important because Nikki insisted 'ENCORE!' a great many times. We were also able to race each other, although ... William cheated a lot of the time.

It made me remember crazy carpets as kids and how we would find the steepest, bumpiest, stupidest hill we could ... then go down .... on our stomachs. I don't know how we survived. Maybe when everyone comes over next we can have races again ....

Nikki's thoughts at 21 months old

Everything looks better when colored on.
Only accept milk from a cup if mom isn't around or if mom doesn't give in to your pleading.
Matante Madison is the best.
Memere is pretty awesome too.
Until she tries to leave ... then she's not cool.
Going outside is fun as long as someone carries me.
Sledding is super fun.
Climbing in the fridge is fun.
Climbing on the couch is fun.
Climbing everything is fun.
Unfolding the laundry is pretty fun too.
Chocolate milk is probably as good as breast milk.
Amelie is my favorite person in the world - right up there with mommy, and mommy-mom (dad)
It's fun calling dad mommy-mom because he gets annoyed.
It's also fun calling William - William Amelie and Amelie - Amelie William : nobody knows why but me.
Batting lashes and yelling YEAH when mommy asks if I want boogie (boob) gets me everything - even cookies.
Playing with the tablets is fun, but only if I can play the kitty kitty game - which mommy gets annoyed with.
When watching my leappad it must have the volume turned up all the way.
Day care was pretty awesome - they had cookies and cuddled me when I needed it, sometimes when I didn't. ;)
I like when Grandpa comes over.
I call everyone grandpa, even the doctor and mommy's boss ...
I like pretending I'm a puppy.
If I don't know what to do, I pretend whoever is scaring me is a puppy.

Pro-Choice

Lately, my newsfeed has been bombarded with pro-life, anti-abortion type posts, from lots of people. Even family members. Normally, since my pro/anti vaccine post in January, I just close/remove these things but ... they have been bothering me.

Has anyone posting this ever considered what a law like this could mean for women? I mean truly considered what this could mean ... you are forcing a woman to do something with her body that she has not given consent for. Really think about that. Really, truly think about it. I didn't really think about it and just kind of let the activists do their thing, but then ... it hit me.

It makes me sick. It doesn't make me feel good to know what abortion is or how it works or any of that, but worse ... the idea that my rights are being taken away. It may start with the right to abort and access to birth control. It may progress to my right on how I give birth (which is already a huge fight), it may progress to whether or not I vaccinate, circumcise, homeschool, playdate, eat organic ... am I getting all crazy? I don't think so. All these things directly affect our children, their long term health and there are pros and cons to each and there are also tons of doctors/researchers to support each side. Forget what a celebrity says, I've never taken advice from a celebrity, not even Dr. Oz. I research all my choices and then agonize over it forever LOL.

Some women choose to abort because the pregnancy was unplanned and another pregnancy would be too dangerous and might leave her children with no mom. Why is it not okay for women to make conscious decisions about their body?The thought of aborting a life is a sad one, but one that women make because it truly is the best decision for them. How can any of us tell them what is the best decision for them or their child? Ever.

We can't.

We should protect the innocent?! Agreed! How about those that were born and abandoned? Maybe start there instead? There are so many children in the world that need loving and caring arms that ... maybe instead of glaring and forcing women into doing something they don't consent to ... we should just focus on giving an extra set of hands to those who chose to have children and are overwhelmed with the responsibility. What happened to kindness and compassion? When did they get less important than judgement and laws?

I don't want my kids to grow up thinking that they know what's best for others. The further along they get in school the more I realize what truly is important to me and what God's plan for me is. To raise children who love, are compassionate, care about the planet and environment and are gentle. I want them to look over at others to make sure their neighbor has enough.

It's hard to draw the line when it comes to laws, I know. I know what the pro-life people are pushing but I just can't agree with laws that go against a woman's right to her own body. IF we make that law, then shouldn't there be other laws that forbid us to make decisions about our children? Circumcision is a decision that parents choose shortly after birth, it affects the boys forever. (In some countries they do something similar to girls). Of course there are many examples but ... I digress.

So ... to you, I say, as long as you aren't trying to hurt my family or my children, carry on. Love. Live. Be compassionate ... or not.

Besides, maybe we can focus on laws against drunk drivers instead, or ways to keep pedophiles/sexual predators behind bars? Or how about ways to help mamas who want to stay home and raise their babies?! Yeah. Sounds way awesome.

Nikki's thoughts at 8 months old

Crawling is slow
Standing is important
If she can't get where she needs to go - yell for mamamama
When daddy gets home, immediately say dadadadada
pull the cats tail at all possible opportunities
knock down all blocks the moment you realize someone is trying to build something
Yell at all technology - this includes phones, computers, tv, iPds and LeapPads
hit all technology
paper is for ripping
water is only good if it comes from mommy's cup
eating solids that have been pureed is way lame
eating solids is ok I suppose
sitting in a chair at the table is tons of fun
the exersaucer is boring
sock basket should be empty ALL THE TIME
you should always stick your hand in someone's drink. Always.
If it's anywhere near eye level that means it's free for the taking
Strangers aren't cool
Nobody is cool unless mommy is nearby - except maybe Tante Pisha and Tante Maddie, sometimes Memere
sleeping next to mommy is the only place to sleep, except the couch.
Once you're on your back you can't move. Like a turtle.
Biting people is totally fine
If mommy gives you something new to try, throw it away, immediately until you see her taste it first
Showering is lots of fun, tub time too
Only laugh at home around mommy, daddy and siblings - remain serious all other times
the car seat is stupid, and so is facing backwards
Driving places sucks, until we get there, then it's fun, unless there's strangers then it sucks again, until we get used to them, then it's fun, unless there's kids then it's DEFINITELY fun
Markers are fun for jabbing at paper and yelling at
yoga - easy
 

William's thoughts about life - at 3 years old

All problems can be solved in three ways :

1. Pretend you're a transformer and 'transform into vehicle mode to avoid confrontation
2. Pretend you're iron man and use your hand blaster against problem
3. Pretend you're a robot that doesn't understand human language

It should be as dark as possible, all the time. It's more fun trying to avoid things - like legos - in the dark.
Getting a haircut is traumatizing
Avery is awesome
Uncle Leo is is best friend
Sometimes daddy is his best friend (mostly at bedtime)
Snuggling mommy is awesome - only at bedtime
chocolate milk is considered a meal
Jessie is like a living doll and the best playmate
Nikki is fun - unless she's touching his blocks, or cars, or crawling over him or sleeping with mommy
All you need to go outside are mitts and boots - all year
recharging batteries is easy
Toy Story is his favorite movie
Jumping on the bed is a must
The Hot tub IS a swimming pool
Annoying Amélie is a good way to pass time
Santa is over rated
It's someone's birthday all the time
Giving someone a thumbs up is an excellent form of praise
The word poop works for everything
When going to the bathroom you should take your underwear off the moment you realize you need to go
Going outside to go pee is totally fine
When mom yells 'What are you doing?!' Always answer with 'Don't worry'
You are 'dressed' as long as you have clothes on - any clothes
Underpants should be worn backwards so you can see the picture properly
putting socks on your hands make excellent iron man blasters
You should try to catch the fish in the fish tank at least once a week
Run. Everywhere
Throw. Everything.
Climb. Everyone. 

Amélie's thoughts about life - at 5 years old

What being 5 means to Amélie - so far

Bedtime SUCKS
There are monsters under the bed and definitely in the closet
Bears will eat you in the winter
William picks on her
Jack Frost is real
So is the Easter Bunny, Santa Clause and Baby Jesus
Making cookies is fun
Breaking eggs is more fun
Cutting her own hair is just common place
Coloring on the walls is considered art
Snuggling with mom and dad is the absolute best thing ever
Playing with Nikki is lots of fun too
Jessie is a crazy cat that can never live outside because she'll die but can be thrown down the stairs multiple times - and live
iPods and phones have lots of fun games
Using the PS3 can be done in her sleep.
Yoga is way easier than mom says
Mornings are a stupid time to go to school
Christmas should be all year
Planning a birthday party takes all year and people need to be reminded all year so they remember
She wants to grow up and live with us forever
and ever
Getting old is scary
Dancing is lots of fun
Playing dress-up and putting on makeup is even more fun
Hates brushing her hair but loves getting curls
Kaitlin is her best friend
Matante Madison's friend Vanessa is awesome
Matante Madison is old now
Avery is William's friend and annoying - like William
Hitting William is an acceptable form of dealing with him
You can never have too many barbies
Playing iPod or LeapPad while going to the bathroom is completely normal
Being naked all day except when company comes over is completely acceptable
Everything tastes better with sour cream and seasoning salt. Everything. 
Sleeping at Mémère's is fun - without William

Yoga with children

Yoga in itself is tough, and by tough I mean at first it requires a fair amount of concentration. It's also supposed to be very peaceful and calming.

Add three kids.

Why don't I do it at night when they are sleeping? Because I'm tired. When they sleep, I sleep. In our house kids don't go to bed at 7pm, frankly I think that's absurd because I don't want to get up at 7am.

Back to yoga.

This means I do my yoga in the afternoon, at some point. The first time, Nikki mostly watched the lady on tv, Amelie criticized my moves and William used me as a tunnel for his trucks and cars and occasionally showed me his own yoga moves.

The 2nd time ..... oy vey. Nikki kept crawling under my legs or grabbing me to pull herself up. William decided that I was a new sort of jungle gym, or better yet, a pony. Amelie took pictures because she's cool like that. So between swatting at children, avoiding blocks and cars and attempting to 'refine' my pose in yogo, I got a good workout I would say.

I crawled into the hot tub both nights to try to ease the muscle pain that I would undoubtedly feel. Today, I can hardly move and feeling not that great.

Yoga with children is like talking to someone with tourettes syndrome. Maybe that syndrome is just a side affect of being a parent ....