2010 to 2011

In 2010 I have so much to be thankful for

• We welcomed into the world my first Nephew
• We sold our house (what a roller coaster ride at best, the showings, the cleaning to keep it show-worthy, the packing up and walking away from a place that we owned for almost 7 full years)
• We bought a new house (the unpacking, the decorating, making plans for room make-overs)
• My son started kindergarten
• My daughter received first Penance. 

I have great joy to speak for for 2010. No major personal tragedies. We trucked through the year like champs. I did my best to be a positive person throughout the year. 

• In 2010 we discovered how much pain can come with poison ivy
• We discovered how awesome it is to have a big backyard
• We hosted our first ever big party (labor day weekend)
• I discovered the cost savings in hanging my clothes outside to dry
• I discovered that aluminum clothes trees are a waste of money (twice)
• Kids riding the bus is so much better than walking them to and from school.
• Having to drive everywhere does have its draw-backs
• Summer movie series is fun
• The Philadelphia zoo is a great place to spend a day, and a one year membership is worth it. 
• A trip to Hershey with my daughter taught me how much she loves to ride the rides. The higher the better. 
• Stephen go his first bike, and we all learned to love the openness of our neighborhood and how easy it is to go for a ride. 
• Decorating for Christmas is so much more fun when you have more space. 
• We took our first family trip to Washington DC and discovered that our kids love the Metro and running around the museums. 
• Catherine loves history
• Stephen loves Star Wars and all things battle related
• David is a master puzzle solver
• Joshua has the mind of an engineer. 

I can't wait for a new year to bring on new adventures.

• in 2011 we will make our first ever trip to Disney (this includes a first plane ride)
• Catherine will receive First Holy Communion
• I will be applying to go back to work
• David and Joshua will enter Kindergarten
• I will build a new garden 
• maybe fulfill our kids dreams of one day going to Dorney Park (which is only five minutes from our house)

Life changes. It happens so fast sometimes you miss the changes. I love that this year is wrapping up. I love that I can say it was truly a good year. I am grateful that it was such a wonderful for year. I can't wait to begin another year and pray that it is as good as the last. 

not an expert, just experienced.

Have you ever noticed that a parent's FB status involving their child will grow with comments? Especially it its an advice seeking status.

All the sudden your fellow friends who happen to be parents have the right answer for you. They know just what to do. If you're a sensitive person you may get offended when reading other peoples comments because sometimes they can come off a bit strong (as if to say that their solution is the only solution). If you are not overly sensitive you will read the comments as they are meant to be: An experts opinion.

Okay so not really an expert, just an experienced parent who can tell you what has worked for them. Any level headed parent knows that every family is different and every child is different. Knowing this is the key to seeking parental advice. Take what they give you and see how it can work for you.

What makes an expert anyway? Is is someone who has studied children? Someone who has raised a whole bunch of kids? I don't get it. Someone once contacted me to ask me a parenting question because they figured I would be an expert on the subject. I think it was a potty training question, and I did just complete the fourth child's training. So sure maybe by the end I was a bit of an expert. Or maybe just really experienced. The funny thing was that all four of my kids needed different approaches and so I laid each one out.

If I were an expert at anything I would say it's reading the situation and seeing how to apply the right techniques to accomplish my goal. I'm going to use sleep training as my example. Catherine was my first and we didn't realize it until it was almost too late that we were approaching sleep time all wrong. We were developing the habit of waiting until she was sound asleep in our arms to put her down. I don't remember when we started the "feber" method, but I know that's what we ended up doing. Strait by the book. Stephen came along and he was a mild version of Catherine. We learned from the first to not wait until he's almost a year, and so we started sooner. We also knew that we had to let him entertain himself (i.e. don't hold him all the time). David and Joshua came along and once again we adjusted our sleep training strategies to their personalities (for the record David had problems and screamed for a good 6 months, no training worked until he started to feel better).

I am not an expert in putting babies to sleep. I am sure if you give me your non-sleeping baby I wouldn't magically have her sleeping like a champ. Unless I spent a considerable amount of time getting to know her and the family dynamic and then maybe I could help train the baby to be a great sleeper. My kids are all great sleepers. They are in bed by 7/7:30 and usually up by 7:30a (only true during unscheduled periods of life). This suits our lifestyle and personalities. What we do will not work for others. The key to our children's sleep/wake patterns is that it fits with our work schedules. Paul is out the door at sunrise and is home by 4pm (meaning we get enough wake-time with the kids that there is no reason to keep them up at night)

ANYWAY, The whole point of this post was to comment on the "experts" in parenting. I'd argue that there is no such thing. Even Mister Feber himself at one point recanted his "Feber method" saying it might not be the best choice. I do think it's wonderful how parents band together to lend sage wisdom to one another. What would I have done, had I not had friends to call on for their wisdom? My parenting wisdom only goes as far as a 7 year old girl. I would have nothing to offer for the problems you may face with a 10 year old boy (get back to me in five years).

As parents, we need to stick together. We need to help each other out. Don't be offended if someone doesn't take your advice. And don't puff your chest if yours is the advice taken. Don't dispense advice like you're the expert. Don't be afraid to add your pearls of wisdom on a subject that you are experienced with. (Quick side note: a major pet peeve of mine is when someone chimes in with some utterly useless statement. For example, I asked if anyone has a recommendation for a good movie for the kids to watch, don't tell me that you don't let your kids watch tv. That only makes you look obnoxious, just stay out of conversations that don't include you).

Parent's should cheer each other on and help each other out. Never should one parent put another down. We all make mistakes and we are not permitted to judge each others mistakes (I do judge and I recognize this as a huge crutch of mine). We should not be tempted to tell another parent that they are doing something wrong. I once knew a mom who's daughter only napped when nursing. And so for more than a year when it was nap time mom settled on the couch and nursed the child through the whole nap. I never said anything to her about this. It wasn't my place to. She wasn't hurting the baby. She was just making her life more complicated than necessary. If this friend asked me for help in breaking this habit I would have been all over it, but until then I needed to let it go.

We parents must stand united. It's how God created us. To depend on each other. To look to Him in our times of need. Parents are often in need and that's why he putts so many experienced parents in our lives.

funny story.

We are at my parents house and all of the gifts have been opened. I am sitting on the couch and I see a garmin. I ask my sister who got it, and she tells me it hers. And I say to her that I have always wanted one and maybe next year I can get one.
Meanwhile my dad hears the exchange, and looks at me with confusion, and says: You didn't get yours?
He then takes off behind the tree and hands me a small wrapped box and explains that he forgot to give it to me earlier.
Oops guess he forgot.
It was another funny and typical moment at my family Christmas.

And by the way. I am really excited to finally have a Garmin, I have been wanting one for so long.


UPDATE:
Funny Story Part 2
Two days after Christmas Paul and I realized that Stephen forgot to give everybody his gifts. When I helped him wrap things he insisted on hiding things in his room. All of the other kids gifts were in bags in my room. On Christmas Eve we got home so late that I didn't remember that he had gifts hidden. We emptied our room of all the gifts and put them under the tree. The chaos of Christmas morning we didn't even notice that we didn't hand anything out that was from him.
So two days after Christmas we got one more handful of gifts.
Love it!

these are a few of my favorite things.

Love Christmas.

Love getting new things.

I got some clothes, which I love.

I got a keurig, which I love

I got a photography book and tripod, which I am excited about

I got rain boots, which I love

The kids got some wonderful gifts including, American Girl doll, New Bikes, Legos, Knex,  Trios,  games, books and so much more.

I love Christmas.

Praise God

calm after the storm.

No, we didn't get any snow. Maybe an inch, which is disappointing for our children. The real storm is the Christmas Storm.

Christmas Eve was celebrated at my in-laws house. We arrived early afternoon and the kids played with existing toys and drooled over the pile of wrapped gifts under the tree. Paul's sister was in town from Oregon, which meant his immediate family was all together. We went to the children's mass and came back to the house for dinner and then it was presents time. All the kids were truly grateful for all of the gifts they received.

When the night was over we headed home. The kids were so tired they dove into their beds forgetting to leave cookies for Santa (so we put some crumbs on a plate and called it a night). Paul and I quickly set up the tree and stockings and we were off to bed ready for the next day.

Ironically I was the first one up. Soon after I went downstairs to make some tea the kids started to arise. They came down and were amazed by the piles of gifts under the tree. While Paul and I got ourselves together the kids tore through their stockings and you would have thought that they were in heaven. The squeals of delight were hysterical. Everything they got was greeted with shouts of joy. After the stockings we began to open presents. And before you know it, wrapping paper was everywhere and we had a house full of happy children.

After gifts, we did breakfast and started to get ready for the next adventure. We headed off to my grandmothers house for a short visit and then to my parents house. At my parents house the kids were once again greeted with a tree stuffed with gifts just for them. Again they tore through every gift and thanked everyone for everything. They were happy with all of it and weren't afraid to let the world know it.

After gifts we had a family dinner and then we all sat back and relaxed and enjoyed a great Christmas celebration. We spent the night at my parents house and came home the next day. Now, two days after Christmas we are slowly trying to find homes for all of our new toys. The kids are a bit overwhelmed by the amount of stuff they have and can hardly figure out what to play with first.

Christmas is my favorite. I love the church celebration as much as I love the family celebration. And I love this week where we can be lazy and enjoy all that we have and all that we have been given.

changes are gonna come.

This week I did something I have been avoided. I started the paperwork process that leads to getting back to the work world. What I have done is not huge but the significance behind it is. I filled out the Child Abuse Clearances, and the Criminal Background Check forms, and I started a rough copy of my resume (which I am rather tempted to post here someday).

This is it. God-willing, 2010 will be marked as the last year that I am a stay at home mom. If all goes well I will become a working-mom once again (does that sound dirty?). I am excited an nervous about this at the same time.

Just so you know I did not really choose to become a SAHM. It chose me, or should I say that God chose that for me? When I had Catherine I was miserable at home. I didn't have a network of friends, I didn't know what to do with myself. When she was three months old I returned to the classroom and never regretted it. Teaching is awesome for many reasons, but one of the great things about it is its holiday breaks. I liked the summers off and the holiday weekends. It fits the family life perfectly.

Since Stephen was born in August I stayed home until November. I went back to work with two kids in day-care and once again it didn't bother me. We were happy. Sure I felt bad that I put Stephen in daycare before he turned one (we had in home care for Catherine the first year), but I knew we were making the decision that was best for our family. When we discovered that we were pregnant again, we knew that I would have to stay home for at least a year (day-care for 3 is ridiculous) until Catherine was pre-school age (older kids child-care is less than little kids). When we discovered that we were having twins we knew then that my career was to go on an indefinite hold.

I was thrown into the world of SAHM because I couldn't afford the child-care that I would need in order to work. I accepted that reality, and dove into the life of an at home mom. To be honest I didn't even think about work for the first two and a half years at home. I was too busy with infant twins, and toddlers. It wasn't until David and Joshua turned 3 that I started to think about the next phase. Now they are four and they go to Kindergarten next year. I can't just think about going back to work, I have to start  applying for work.

I miss working, and I know that its the right thing to do. I don't have any guilt over this decision. Going back to work is a choice between two life-styles. Choice A: Keep the kids in their current school (St. John Vianney) where they are happy and thriving. Be able to buy kids the clothes they need and not fear that we are breaking the bank doing so. Knowing if Paul's car falls into disrepair we can afford to replace it. Be able to afford to replace the rundown/mismatched furniture we currently have. Choice B: Pull the kids from their school so that we can afford all the things listed in choice A.

Paul and I don't have a lot of fancy things. We cut corners where ever possible in an effort to save money. Having a second income would take tremendous financial pressure off of us. We can make it on a single salary, as long as we continue to live simply. I don't want to go back to work simply to afford the finer things in life. I want to go back to work because I want to give my kids what I think they deserve. I love their school, and I would be crushed if we had to take that from them. A huge benefit to working in our diocese is free-tuition. That alone will help us in huge ways. A second salary will allow us to breathe a little bit.

I want to work for Paul's sake. He takes on a lot of stress due to our finances. If I go back to work, he might be able to sleep better at night. He won't freak out when one of our kids decides to outgrow their entire wardrobe over night. I want to work because it's what is best for our family at this time. They no longer need me at home all the time. Once Dave and Josh head off to full-day school what am I supposed to do all day? A housewife I am not. And I do draw a distinction between housewife and SAHM. Both are honorable things to be. I just happen to see myself as a good mom not so much on the housewife stuff. I have tremendous respect for those who do well in the housewife department.

So dear readers, pray for me. Pray that I write the best resume and cover letter out there. Pray that I find the job that is best fit for me and my family. Pray that my nervousness fades over time. Pray for my family. Pray that my kids in 2011 grow in the strength of Christ. Pray that we all can adjust to the changes that will come about when I return to the world of work.

Peace and Merry Christmas.

home made gifting.

Are you enjoying the Christmas craziness yet?
I'm 99% certain that we finished out Christmas shopping this week. I had to wait until this week because we wanted to get Joshua a movie that wasn't out until this past Tuesday. We got each of the other kids movies and we didn't want to leave Josh out.

So that should be it for the shopping. BUT I'm not done yet. A large part of out gifting is also home made stuff. This past weekend we made cookies lots and lots of cookies. This year we got a new cook book to help us expand our selection. All together we made 18 batches of cookies (I have no idea how many dozen that calculates to). Here's a list of cookies we made:

• Chocolate chip
• oatmeal
• oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip
• cookie press (green trees, yellow flowers, red stars)
• cookie cutters
• chocolate shortbread
• ricotta
• holly wreaths

Paul spent a week mixing batters and storing them in our fridge, and this past weekend we spent two days baking non-stop. We filled two 34qt storage bins, and one paper box with cookies. Homemade cookies are a fantastic gift (at least I think so). We can't buy something for every body. It's just too much. Cookies are a great way to show people you are thinking of them, you appreciate them and you care enough to do something for them at Christmas. Paul took a bunch of boxes with him to work for his employees. Then I gave a box to Josh's speech therapist, and two more boxes to my Moms group babysitters.

The second homemade gift that we give out are cookie mixes. I buy recipe books to help me with this project. When we moved I lost about 4 different books which really bummed me out. This year I have about 16 jars to fill. I buy mason jars and the baking ingredients and I layer each one according to the directions. When all is said and done I am handing someone a jar filled with everything they need to make cookies, brownies, muffins etc. Again, it's an inexpensive way to show people how much we care and appreciate them. I give these to teachers, parents, grandparents, and family friends. My guess is that each jar costs me less than $3 to make, and it looks like so much more than that. It's the time and effort that I put into it that people can really see.

And finally this year my kids are doing a lot of crafts for their aunts and uncles. Each child is putting together a gift bag filled with homemade crafts for their godparents. The each have three different things to make and put in the bag and then I will add something small to each one. My brothers and sisters ought to see it for what it is. Something that my kids are taking a great deal of time and effort to do. It takes a lot of energy to sit down and carefully work on each project. Catherine, for example, knows that she is making her things for Uncle Dom, and she is working very intently on her projects for him. My intention is that my brother will see this effort and really appreciate his gift. It's more fun and less stressful than wondering the stores trying to figure out what to get for him.

I think homemade gifts are the best.

cheer up.

hey everybody have you heard? Christmas is 10 days away.

The world around me couldn't be more miserable. I sign onto FB and it's one complaint after another.

Come one have some fun. And if your feeling sick (which many people are), go to bed. Stop trying to tough it out. Get the rest you need and get better. I'll pray that you do.

See the potential for joy all around. The decorated houses. A lit Christmas tree. Don't have one of those yet? no worries, go visit someone who does.

Not finished your shopping? so what. You'll get it done when you can.

I mean really if these are your biggest complaints then you are doing just fine. Don't sweat the small stuff. Seriously!

I suppose really ya'll should just take a look inward and maybe realize how self-absorbed the constant complaining sounds. (did that sound harsh?)

It's one thing to vent on occasion, but this constant woe-is-me behavior has got to stop. Life is good if you only let it be.

I make a conscious effort to not complain and I'll tell you what it feels good. Sometimes I'm at loss for a good tweet because I want to complain. Then I realize it's okay to go silent. My ten followers most likely won't notice. When I do complain I try to think of something positive. Something that I am grateful for. It makes a difference. Really.

Well that's it for now. I have to go. Paul is late coming home from work. The kids are all beading*. And I have to start cleaning and prepping for dinner.



*beading= perler beads an inexpensive art project for the kids, we have buckets of beads and the kids love to spend hours working on project. Tiny beads go onto peg boards, when the peg boards are filled you use a special paper and iron them. I'm telling you this gives them hours of entertainment. 

little triumph.

My daughter is receiving the Sacrament of First Penance tonight. I find this to be a tremendous accomplishment on our part.
The day my daughter was born I looked at her tiny little body snuggled against mine, and I could have seen this moment. I was there in that moment basking in the wonder of the gift I had been given.
I pray that God sees that we took her this far. We took the first steps, we baptized her. We chose her Church. We are molding her into who we pray is what God intends for her. We are trying to make a Saint out of her.
Tonight is her next big step to Sainthood. She has to begin to confess her sins. One by one. Lay them out. Be forgiven. And do it all again for the rest of her life. She is being made ready for heaven and I am loving it.
I'm really hopeful that she can feel the grace that will pour out on her during this sacrament. I hope that she sees it for the beauty that it is. I pray that in the future she uses this sacrament to her advantage. That she takes the grace given and grows into the powerful saint I know she will be.
I didn't see this night when she was born. I couldn't see past that moment. But now I can look back to all that we have done and I can see how we got here and I am so grateful that we made it. I see where she is going and I am praying that she gets there gracefully.
Only a few more months and she will be receiving First Eucharist. It doesn't get any better than this.

split decision.

I have talked about this once before. I own a steamer and once upon a time I thought it was a useless thing to have. Then I used it. Now I have a love hate relationship with it.
Evidence suggests that steam cleaners are all the rage right now. The problem is they actually work. Well at least the one I have works. It's a pain to wield but the job it does is amazing. The lazy bones in me hates lugging the thing out to do my cleaning.
I have decided I want an upgrade. I am torn between the shark  and the bissell. Currently I have a hand vac that is great on the wood and tile surfaces. My entire first floor is wood and tile and I often vacuum the entire surface in about 20 minutes (with stops to deal with kiddies). Really my vacuum set is the best ever. It's a simplicity upright and a separate canister for smaller jobs.  My mother in law bought it for us for a housewarming gift and I could not be happier with it.
The steam and sweep would potential cut the need for me to break out my vacuum. But because I have such a nice vacuum and it's way easier than sweeping for the big jobs I could get away with the smaller and more affordable steamer.
Paul and I are done with Christmas shopping for the year and these items were not on my wish list. I am hopeful that maybe in the spring I can acquire one.

more on brothers and sister.

I was thinking more about the story I told about Catherine getting up once because of her newborn brother. People often ask about the twins and where they sleep and slept when they were babies. When they first came home we had the bassinets and had two. After a few weeks we upgraded to a crib and only one crib for the both of them.

The bassinets took up too much room and they were out growing them. They shared a crib for several months. We did this mainly because of space. We were still sharing a room with them at the time. They liked being in the same crib, or at least they didn't seam to mind it. We didn't separate them until they started kicking each other in the face (aren't I a good mother?).

Durring the day we kept the boys on the same schedule. I did most days on my own so I always fed one right after the other. They napped together as well. Now, all parents know that every baby is different so sometimes my grand plan of keeping them on the same schedule didn't always work out. And just for clarity sake we did not keep them on the same schedule overnight, Paul and I split the duty he would take care of one baby all night while I did the other. Here's what I quickly learned. Overnight the boys would stir at the sounds of each others cries, but never awaken fully. I can't think of a time (maybe I blocked it out) when one baby cried enough to wake the other.

This is a sure sign of the sibling bond, at least that's what I'd like to think. Catherine learned that crying babies were nothing to worry about, and so did each of the boys. Just this week David woke up overnight crying and when we got to him we find Josh on the top bunk sound asleep while Dave is crying away. Really the only time we had an issue with one child waking another up was in the first few weeks of putting all three boys in the same room. If David or Joshua would wake up Stephen would get out of bed and try to bring them to us. After a while Stephen learned to sleep through it as well (and besides they really don't wake up all that often).

Though my kids are unaffected by each others nighttime crying they are affected by daytime emotions. Just recently David was in our kitchen and told us that Josh was crying and something was wrong. Just as David said it we heard Josh and went to go investigate. The boys were on the opposite side of the house and how David heard him I will never know. The point is that they look out for each other. On a very basic level they take care of each other. If one is hurt they all come running.

I can't tell you how many times there has been a parade of children walking through the house to find me after a scraped knee or some other injury. Granted sometimes they come in to make sure that they aren't in trouble for letting one get hurt, but most of the time its to make sure that they get the help they need.

I find it endearing that they look after each other. I find it amusing when they come in to listen to each others stories so that they can defend their actions. I find it impressive that they can sleep through each others rough nights.

the tornado (a short story)

3:00 pm and alls somewhat quiet. Two four year olds can be found in the playroom working through some game or another. Mom is sweeping the dining room floor wondering how it got this bad in 24 hours. Then she remembers it might have been 48 hours since the last sweeping, oh and she might need to pull out the steamer but not today no time.
3:05 pm it's still quiet the floor is almost swept and now Mom is thinking about the dishes in the sink. Does her husband need the mixer tonight? Can I put it away. The meat isn't all the way defrosted. The trash is full.
3:07pm (maybe no one was looking at the clock) The low roar of a bus can be heard and it happens. Doors slam open and the noise blows through the house. Trampling feet in search of mom and they find her slam into her with hugs and shouts and just like that it's on. The four year olds surface in excitement. Bags are strewn about coats, hats, gloves are strewn about.
In an effort to control something Mom beckons that the coats and gloves and hats make it to their places, somehow her cry is heard.
The chaos of after school lasts for about five minutes. Three of my kids are bundled up and outside. One is hiding in his room (too tired after a long day of school he hangs in his room in an effort to recharge).

Ahh.. the five year old just found me, he needs some mommy time. Gotta go...

The floor is swept but the dishes are not tended to.

bond of brothers. and sister.

Catherine was 2 years old when Stephen was born. For two years she lived the single child life. I remember her cautious attitude toward Stephen when she first met him. It was hard for her to understand that he was a permanent structure in our household. But it only took her a few days to come to realize what it meant to have him in the house. And Catherine being a very smart girl figured out just how serious an adjustment she had to make. 

One thing I'll never forget is one of our first nights home with Stephen. Stephen had no warning system when he was hungry. He went from silent sleeper to screamer in no time. It was a midnight feeding and I was taking Steve downstairs to get his bottle ready and out of her room pops Catherine. She had that drunken look on her face, wobbly on her feet she just looked at me with sad confused eyes and said "mommy what's happening?" Paul the wonder that he is heard the exchange and quickly ushered her back to be before she fully awakened. 

That is the only time that I can recall her ever getting out of bed when one of her brothers got up in the middle of the night. That night Stephen's cries startled her because it was a new sound, but once she knew what it was and how it would effect her (or not as the case was) it never bothered her at night again. Notice here how I said at night?  Stephen cried during the day as well and once again Catherine had to figure out how this would effect her. After a few days she noticed that when Stephen cried I picked him up changed his diapers and fed him. She noticed that if we held him he wouldn't cry. Catherine's problem, in these early days, was that Stephen made too much noise. So, whenever he would cry Catherine would run to me and run the litany: "Mommy, pick him up, feed him, change him, hold him please he needs you." And before you go awww, realize that this was not so much her way of tending to his needs, but a tending to her need to have her world restored to quiet. Okay, it was still adorable. 

It wasn't until months later that Stephen's presence really took it's toll on her. An infant takes mom's attention, which Catherine never really needed, a mobile baby takes toys. And a two and half year old girl had to learn what sharing was...

It's funny how those details are so vivid in my mind, but the early days of David and Joshua are lost. The transition from two to four was rough. I don't have baby books for my any of my kids. I don't have milestone charts. When the doctors asked me when Catherine hit milestones I could tell you (1st teeth at 6mos, crawl at 9mos walk at 13mos...), Stephen I could approximate (crawl at 7mos). David and Joshua I could only tell you that they hit them (I know that Joshua crawled first, but David walked first). I do remember that Catherine had virtually no reaction to having two more brothers. 

There was no waking up with them on their first nights home, or a rush for me to shut them up. By the time they came around Stephen made enough noise that the hope of ever returning to a quiet life was gone and at 3 she had given up. Catherine also knew how to gain the system. She discovered that if she didn't nap she had quiet time with me. She discovered that her room was her sanctuary and that it was her space and no one else's. 

ASIDE: What I really wanted to explore here was how each of my children share an incredibly unique bond. Funny how this post is developing into an exploration on how my kids learned to navigate their world as they grew. 

In the early weeks of having the twins home we had Catherine in daycare. At the time Stephen was home with me at 10/11 months. What Stephen discovered was my vulnerability when I was feeding the boys. By some miracle I had learned to breastfeed and did so with Joshua (out of my four he is the only one, I can explain if you want). Stephen would watch for me to sit down with Joshua and he would take off and try to break through the baby gates. He made it out a few times and he knew that I couldn't get to him until I was done.

The other thing I remember with fondness is Catherine and Stephens ability to spot an empty lap. They would watch and stand by closely whenever I was feeding the boys. They knew that both brothers would have to eat before I could put them down in their chairs and swings. And the second I would be finished with feeding, one (either Cate or Steve) of them would slide into my lap. They would ask for nothing. Sometimes they would bring a sippy cup over and drink while lounging. Other times they would just sit. 

The older two realized that the little ones needed me first, but I would always make time for them. 

The dynamics of the four kids is something amazing. Observing them is a treat. Catherine responded to her brothers much differently than Stephen. Catherine didn't want them to invade her space, but once they did and she accepted that she created her own space they couldn't get to (she still does that). She also has become their guardian, since very early on she has looked after them in her own way. She almost always jumps up to help them whenever she can. Stephen was her space invader and to this day she gets along with the twins better than she does Stephen. Stephen has adopted his brothers as his constant playmates. He's so close to them in age that they can almost always do all of the same things. Stephen uses his status as the older one to be in charge of playtime. He guides them and shows them the ropes. He also loves to be the ringleader when it comes to causing trouble, but somehow maintains his innocence. He looks to Catherine for guidance and when she wants in on the play he tries to let her be in charge. 

Check back in a few days. I think I will dive more into this sibling relationship thing. I want to share more on what I have noticed with David and Joshua, because twins are truly fascinating.