< Things I Can't Say: May 2009

This Page

has been moved to new address

Things I Can't Say

Sorry for inconvenience...

Redirection provided by Blogger to WordPress Migration Service
body { background:#fff; margin:0; padding:40px 20px; font:x-small Georgia,Serif; text-align:center; color:#333; font-size/* */:/**/small; font-size: /**/small; } a:link { color:#58a; text-decoration:none; } a:visited { color:#969; text-decoration:none; } a:hover { color:#c60; text-decoration:underline; } a img { border-width:0; } /* Header ----------------------------------------------- */ @media all { #header { width:660px; margin:0 auto 10px; border:1px solid #ccc; } } @media handheld { #header { width:90%; } } #blog-title { margin:5px 5px 0; padding:20px 20px .25em; border:1px solid #eee; border-width:1px 1px 0; font-size:200%; line-height:1.2em; font-weight:normal; color:#666; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.2em; } #blog-title a { color:#666; text-decoration:none; } #blog-title a:hover { color:#c60; } #description { margin:0 5px 5px; padding:0 20px 20px; border:1px solid #eee; border-width:0 1px 1px; max-width:700px; font:78%/1.4em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Arial,Verdana,Sans-serif; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.2em; color:#999; } /* Content ----------------------------------------------- */ @media all { #content { width:660px; margin:0 auto; padding:0; text-align:left; } #main { width:410px; float:left; } #sidebar { width:220px; float:right; } } @media handheld { #content { width:90%; } #main { width:100%; float:none; } #sidebar { width:100%; float:none; } } /* Headings ----------------------------------------------- */ h2 { margin:1.5em 0 .75em; font:78%/1.4em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Arial,Verdana,Sans-serif; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.2em; color:#999; } /* Posts ----------------------------------------------- */ @media all { .date-header { margin:1.5em 0 .5em; } .post { margin:.5em 0 1.5em; border-bottom:1px dotted #ccc; padding-bottom:1.5em; } } @media handheld { .date-header { padding:0 1.5em 0 1.5em; } .post { padding:0 1.5em 0 1.5em; } } .post-title { margin:.25em 0 0; padding:0 0 4px; font-size:140%; font-weight:normal; line-height:1.4em; color:#c60; } .post-title a, .post-title a:visited, .post-title strong { display:block; text-decoration:none; color:#c60; font-weight:normal; } .post-title strong, .post-title a:hover { color:#333; } .post div { margin:0 0 .75em; line-height:1.6em; } p.post-footer { margin:-.25em 0 0; color:#ccc; } .post-footer em, .comment-link { font:78%/1.4em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Arial,Verdana,Sans-serif; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.1em; } .post-footer em { font-style:normal; color:#999; margin-right:.6em; } .comment-link { margin-left:.6em; } .post img { padding:4px; border:1px solid #ddd; } .post blockquote { margin:1em 20px; } .post blockquote p { margin:.75em 0; } /* Comments ----------------------------------------------- */ #comments h4 { margin:1em 0; font:bold 78%/1.6em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Arial,Verdana,Sans-serif; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.2em; color:#999; } #comments h4 strong { font-size:130%; } #comments-block { margin:1em 0 1.5em; line-height:1.6em; } #comments-block dt { margin:.5em 0; } #comments-block dd { margin:.25em 0 0; } #comments-block dd.comment-timestamp { margin:-.25em 0 2em; font:78%/1.4em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Arial,Verdana,Sans-serif; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.1em; } #comments-block dd p { margin:0 0 .75em; } .deleted-comment { font-style:italic; color:gray; } .paging-control-container { float: right; margin: 0px 6px 0px 0px; font-size: 80%; } .unneeded-paging-control { visibility: hidden; } /* Sidebar Content ----------------------------------------------- */ #sidebar ul { margin:0 0 1.5em; padding:0 0 1.5em; border-bottom:1px dotted #ccc; list-style:none; } #sidebar li { margin:0; padding:0 0 .25em 15px; text-indent:-15px; line-height:1.5em; } #sidebar p { color:#666; line-height:1.5em; } /* Profile ----------------------------------------------- */ #profile-container { margin:0 0 1.5em; border-bottom:1px dotted #ccc; padding-bottom:1.5em; } .profile-datablock { margin:.5em 0 .5em; } .profile-img { display:inline; } .profile-img img { float:left; padding:4px; border:1px solid #ddd; margin:0 8px 3px 0; } .profile-data { margin:0; font:bold 78%/1.6em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Arial,Verdana,Sans-serif; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.1em; } .profile-data strong { display:none; } .profile-textblock { margin:0 0 .5em; } .profile-link { margin:0; font:78%/1.4em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Arial,Verdana,Sans-serif; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.1em; } /* Footer ----------------------------------------------- */ #footer { width:660px; clear:both; margin:0 auto; } #footer hr { display:none; } #footer p { margin:0; padding-top:15px; font:78%/1.6em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Verdana,Sans-serif; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.1em; } /* Feeds ----------------------------------------------- */ #blogfeeds { } #postfeeds { }

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Fair and Equal?

Ha.

This has become more and more of an issue in our house lately. Monkey(at almost 4 1/2) and Bear(just having turned 3) are now at ages where they notice when the other one has something that they don't. When the other's piece of cake is bigger or has more frosting or has been cut nicer or whatever it is that they want to complain about.

Toys, they have to share. It's rare that a toy so captivates both of them that it warrants us actually having two of them. So, they have to learn to share for the most part.

But, in cases where they have similiar things, we try to have them be slightly different. Both have bikes? One is a Cars one and the other Spiderman. Of course, Bear wants the Spiderman one that is way too big for him and Monkey complains that he wants a Cars one, too.

Two teddy bears? Can't be the same. I need to be able to see from across the room if Bear really did take off running with Monkey's black bear or if Monkey is just jealous because Bear is carrying his own brown bear around the house.

Two identical toys? Nope, not here. I need to be able to easily tell whose is whose. Writing their names on the toys doesn't cut it because again, I want to be able to tell from an easy glance across the room whose is whose to quickly end whatever battle is ensuing.

I want things to be balanced around here. Don't want anyone to feel like they are getting the short end of the stick...though they probably both feel like that. But, trying to make everything fair and equal....it's a challenge.

Lord help me in a year or two when Cub gets old enough to get in on this.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

In and Out with Three

It's been almost a year since the baby was born, so I've had almost a year of carting around 3 children, all still under the age of 5(under age 4 for most of the time).

Pulling a shopping cart right beside the truck was one help, as well as using the stroller. That way, kids could be immediately contained. The infant carrier was a help, too, even bought the one that goes up to 30 pounds this time around, since my first two boys had outgrown the 20 pound restriction kind by the time they were 6 months old(Cub is a few weeks shy of a year and still hasn't quite hit the 20 pound mark, so that new seat hadn't really been needed, but I digress).

These days, I don't always find it necessary to immediately contain the children and we are able to walk across a parking lot without the use of strollers or shopping carts. Death grip, yes, though.

First out is Monkey, since he does understand that he has to stay with me, especially if I continually remind him of this as I am getting the other two out. Next comes Bear, whom I then wedge between my body and the vehicle as I get his brother out of the truck.

Cub on hip, death grip on Bear, and Monkey walks beside us, occasionally holding Bears's hand, Cub's foot, or whatever he can grab of mine(love handles sometimes, glad they can serve a purpose).

It's getting easier.

But, it occurred to me the other day that in this year, Hubs had not once taken all three boys somewhere alone. Well, unless you count the time that he came to a MOPS meeting to pick the boys up and take them home. But, since I helped put them all in the car and all he did was drive them back to our house, carry them in one by one and then put them to bed, I ain't counting that.

I guess there just really hasn't been any reason for it. I do get my alone time, but when I do that, it's me going somewhere, not him taking the kids somewhere while I stay home and get things done around the house.

He's taken one or two with him, places like the gym, where he can drop them off at childcare while he works out and I stay home with one or two of the other boys. Or he handles some of the boys' activities, but only taking the boys(s) who actually need to be there.

It got me wondering if he'd know how to handle it if he actually had to take all three with him somewhere. But, since I really can't fathom a reason why he'd have to do that any time soon, I guess it doesn't matter too much. He'd probably use the double stroller and it wouldn't be hard for him at all. Well, as long as he can remember how to set it up.