Pool School, a Pretty Dress, and Other Updates

On Wednesday, we took Mairead for her first swim lesson. Since we will be spending a lot of time at the pool this summer, we wanted to make sure she was comfortable in the water. Dave was great and volunteered to be the one to get wet. When we first got there, I thought we were headed for disaster. The first class had not yet finished, and we had to wait in the pool area for our turn. Of course, Mairead wanted to explore the very slippery and crowded pool area, or to just get in the water. Neither of those options were available to her, so she got incredibly frustrated and threw a tantrum. She just couldn't understand why we we would bring her to this pool and then not let her get in. With all of her communication and other issues, there was no way for me to make her understand what was happening, and she continued to get more and more upset.

Those moments make me even more frustrated with the fact that we are getting nowhere with neurology. Mairead was genuinely upset and though she DID over-react and scream way more than was necessary, she just didn't understand, and I could see her frustration growing with every second. Every parent in the place is staring at us and probably wondering, 'what's wrong with that kid?' It's not like she has a sign on her forehead that tells everyone that she has a neurological problem that has created cognitive deficeits, and it's not like I am going around to tell everyone that. But those moments are hard for us because when she gets frustrated like that and we can't help her or make her understand, it just kills us.

One mother came up to me after Mairead was happily swimming in the pool and said, "Don't worry- we've all been there." I thanked her for being so sympathetic and did tell her a little about how Mairead has some trouble understanding new situations. She was incredibly nice and reassured me that every kid has some special needs that make things tough on parents, and that all we can do is go with the flow. I was so thankful for her- she came to me just at the right time and really made me feel better. This was the day after our failed visit to the neurologist, so I was even more frustrated wtih things than I would have been on any other day. Thank God that there are kind people in the world who still go out of their way to help others.

These pictures were taken with my cell phone so they are not the best quality-- I will take the 'good' camera next time. Once she was in the water, she LOVED it. She didn't want to leave. These swim lessons are so great for her muscle tone and strength, her self confidence, and just for fun time with Daddy!


We hope to figure out a way to bring the twins, too, but with just one kid, it seems to be a two-man operation, so we may have to bring one twin at a time or bring in reinforcements!


Today, we went to a graduation party for my cousin, Joe (congrats, Joe!) and Mairead wore a new dress that was a gift from Jimmy and Jessica. The picture doesn't even do her justice- she looked absolutely adorable.

Mairead is learning to use more words and phrases all the time, and is getting much better at verbalizing what she wants. This is great news for us since she is less frustrated and more engaged. She is starting to use this against us, though. For example- she can have one cookie after dinner, and to get it, she says, "I want cookie please." The other day, I asked, "what do you want?" She replied, "I want two cookies, please." Smart cookie, huh?

I have to tell you how proud of myself I was on Friday. Dave left for work at 6am and had plans after work, so he didn't get home until almost midnight. This meant that I did the entire with the kids 100% on my own. With three under three, 3 was my number for the day! I...

did all diapers and dressing for 3 kids
prepared, served, and cleaned up after 3 meals (one of which was spaghetti so I think I get extra points for that)
took 3 kids to the playground
remembered to bring those same 3 kids home from the playground
got 3 kids to nap at the same time
emptied 3 diaper genies (yup, 3, and we empty all of them at least 2x per week)
gave 3 kids baths
got 3 kids to bed

I also worked on my online class and picked up around the house a bit. It was exhausting!


Now that I have impressed you, I will tell about the things that I am not so proud of that went on Thursday... all in the span of about 8 minutes.

I brought a big bag of laundry down and dumped it into the already running washing machine when I heard something thud against the tank. At that point, I remembered that I had stuck the video monitor into the bag to carry it downstairs since I had a baby in my hands. Yeah. I threw the monitor in the wash. It was submerged. I am not holding out a lot of hope for it. Goodbye, $150.

I then walked upstairs to where the boys were playing in the den. There, they have a little table that plays music, says letters, numbers, etc. It is about a foot tall. Aaaaannnnd, Ben was standing on top of it and dancing. He had managed to pull himself up on top of it even though it was in the center of the room and there was no furniture, etc, to grab on to. I grabbed him and brought him up for his nap. When I came back down to get Jack, I found him pulling tufts of insulation out from a doorframe that is a work in progress. We are a comedy of errors pretty much 24/7.

Jack is walking a lot more and is doing great. He is trying to keep up with his brother and sister. He is also using a lot of words and phrases like, "where's the bird?', and "go bye bye?" He still LOVES cars and trucks. It was a pretty exciting day on Friday when the Guziejka's landscaping company (friends of the family) was working across the street. They had ride on lawnmowers, a bobcat and all kinds of exciting equipment. I had to put one baby in each kitchen window while they ate lunch so that they could watch the excitement. The boys were clapping for the Guziejkas and when they left, Jack was signing, 'more, 'more.'


And Ben... oh, Ben. Ben has become a climber. Of everything. Coffee tables, toys, furniture, whatever he can find. He is remarkably strong and has great balance. Today, he found the car keys and was waving them around yelling, "Bye bye! Bye bye!"

I usually play music for the kids during meals and in the car. The boys' favorite song right now is Safety Dance... the Glee version. They bob their little heads to it while eating. Super cute! Mairead likes to request "more Gaga music" since her favorite song is 'Bad Romance' by Lady Gaga, also the Glee cast version.

Thanks for reading- we have been busy, as always, but we are certainly having our share of fun!