Little People

The last two weeks have gone by quickly. On April 19, the seminary had a Field Day. I don't realize how small my children are until they're with the big kids. Annika and her friend Audrey were in a "potato sack" race--the next tallest kids were about double their height.



And, with spring here we're trying to get the kids outdoors more often--some for the health benefit, and most for the go-to-sleep-at-night factor. Our first day in the park this year, I ventured out with Megan in my arms and the other three running. To my surprise, Emily, the 15-month-old, went straight to the ladder of the playhouse. I hadn't counted on that since I had another infant in my arms and was ill-prepared to do more than supervise. She made it up the stairs just fine--and down the slide many times, too.


Megan is now 3.5 months old and experimenting--she hasn't rolled over yet completely, but does 360s on the ground. Obviously, she has found her tongue. She also knows how to spit out the nuk with unfortunate regularity.

As for Em, she also likes pushing buttons (figuratively and literally). Thus the usage of anything that looks like a remote, a cell phone or a computer keyboard.

Lauren, despite our many warnings, kept bringing me lovely yellow flowers--from the seminary's landscaping. So we decided to plant our own garden for her to pick later. As with many "pets", Dan is the main one taking care of it, I think.

Lauren is still our night owl. She's still wide awake and it's midnight. Last night, we had her in our bed so she wouldn't keep her other sisters awake. I was doing one last Sudoku before bed (at midnight) on my side of the bed when she looked at me and said, "Mother, read to your child." And tonight, I called her "dear heart" to which she replied, "Mom, don't call me that. I'm not a heart. I'm your daughter."

Annika is excited about her trip to Disney World in June. Tonight, she made me tell her what I remembered about my trip to Orlando (when I was 14, I think). I actually remember bits of my visit to Disneyland when I was 5--just her age--with my parents and Great-Gramma Svenson. We all have Elizabeth in our name. Annika thought that was cool.

Things I Never Thought About Never Doing

Today was filled with firsts for me. I never thought I'd have to scan the web for effective doll-hair washing techniques. Who knew Windex was good for more than window-washing and wart removal (My Big Fat Greek Wedding allusion)?

Emily got "showered" in the kitchen sink. Her hair needs a wash after every meal--she's kind of a performance artist with food--full-body immersion into her work.

It's amazing--it's only been hours since this morning, but I can't remember what I did all day. I didn't eat bon-bons or catch any soaps.

Yesterday was a wash for getting anything done (of course, with four kids, everything gets undone so quickly it's arguable that anything gets done on any given day--but I digress). Our doctor's office was closed so I took Megan to the ER for a raspy cough. When information on the Internet that has "infant dry cough" as a symptom for SIDS, you take the kid in. Call me paranoid. I'm cool with that.

The diagnosis, after 4.5 hours in a Chicago hospital, was croup. Didn't know what that was either. Basically a cold virus, inflammation of the voicebox. Can be bad if the inflammation gets too bad, if the baby has labored breathing for too long. Megan had a breathing treatment and diagnosis of a mild case. She's sleeping well and quietly (and yes, she's breathing).

Emily is now saying more words. With us knowing that these are the last chances we'll have to memorialize some of these stages on tape, we've been taking more pics and videotaping. I pulled out the video camera last night as Emily and Lauren were playing the "drop the cup repeatedly and I'll pick it up" game. Emily stopped playing to look at me and say, "Cheese." Scary. And she definitely has the temper tantrum mastered.

Annika is enjoying helping Daddy in the kitchen. Aunt Sara brought us an Amish friendship bread starter when she was here. Well, what goes around...we got another batch which we baked this weekend and are now giving more starters away. Annika gave one to her friend today with the instructions, "You mush this for 10 days and then it becomes bread."

Disciplining different kids requires different tactics. Parenting is all about creativity. If you threaten Annika with taking away her toys, she's very quick to do as she's told and clean up. However, Lauren..."Lauren, if you don't help Annika pick up your toys, I'm going to keep them in my room." Lauren's response: "Okay, Mommy. You can pick them up." So defeating. So we threaten corporal punishment (no, that's not a death sentence--you're confusing corporal with capital--BIG difference).

Parenting is a trip--a chaotic one to be sure, but we wouldn't trade it. Sara sent us an email a few weeks ago about a woman in their church who's dealing with the violent loss of her children. Six years ago, I didn't know what I was missing and therefore didn't miss it. Now, I can't imagine the pain that mom is going through.

Here are a few pics. The girls found Dan's Bubba teeth (hideous!) in his nightstand and decided to try them out. Then Lauren tried on Daddy's glasses--then Daddy reciprocated and Lauren took his picture. Then, more pics of Megan. None of Annika this time.

Ahh Spring

You can tell by the dearth of our blogging that the second half of the semester has occurred. Dan spends more time in the library getting papers written and articles read. I stay home and try to keep all balls in the air while the circus performs in its four separate rings.

As Megan gets bigger and begins to outgrow her bassinet, we're beginning the search for a toddler bed for Emily--a toddler bed for an infant. Alas, that's all the space we have in the girls room (picture four little girls with dressers, books and beds in solitary confinement).

We're glad they're all small. They squeeze in together better.

Annika has begun pouting. Four is much too young to begin this. I was thinking twelve perhaps. We visited a local kindergarten--she begins in the fall. Here in Chicago, kindergarten is a bit too competitive for me. If we didn't want to go to our local school (which we don't), we needed to enter the "lottery" for entrance into another Chicago Public School. We didn't know that--so we didn't. We did find one school that interests us--small school with only one class per grade from K-8, nice teacher, good administrator. Downside is that it's all-day kindergarten. I don't know if I'm ready for that. We just ordered her a Cinderella lunch bag and backpack in anticipation of that. Ebay is fabulous, let me tell you.

Lauren's new thing is "Daddy, don't do that or I'll be very angry with you." It's not the words so much that are entertaining as her emphasis. Hopefully we'll get it on video to harass her with later in life. She's very tenderhearted and is quick to say "I'm sorry" meaningfully. She's our free-thinker. She can but a braided basket on her back and tell us she's a turtle or a laundry basket on her head and tell us she's a robot. She also makes up raps; I'm not even sure where she heard one to mimic. Again--the emphasis makes it and it's video-worthy. "Check it out, boom ,boom. Check it out, boom , boom." She wanted to make a snowman tonight with a toothpick and radishes. She sings her own songs frequently, also. I'm thinking creative arts in college.

Emily--no longer the walk of a drunk sailor, she careens through the house and hurtles over the base of the baby gates (we now have two). She's into everything and most of that goes in her mouth. She doesn't swallow it--just kind of squirrels it there. Many a Barbie shoe or princess tiara no longer needs to go to the cleaner. She can say, "Mamamama," but she delightedly squeals when Daddy enters the room. That's the downside of all girls--they're all Daddy's.

Tonight, Annika wanted to play outside at the park. We were getting ready for company and Dan said he had to help Mommy. Her reply? "Just let Mommy do all the work; you can stay out here and watch me." Discouraging.

Megan has lost the newborn look and is now in the infant stage. This means she weighs a ton and her eyes are wide open and alert. She also wants to be held more--she's getting more assertive and doesn't take no or a pacifier for an answer. Lauren still adores her sister too much. I asked Lauren to watch her for a moment as I washed my hands. I had just changed Megan's diaper on the couch and didn't want her to roll off while I was gone. I neglected to tell Number Two not to take Number Four off the couch. I had to come rushing back to the living room to see what the pained cry was about. Again, Lauren was quick to say she was sorry and that she didn't want to break Megan like she did Daddy's camera (which was easily fixed).

Since our last blog, we've had several visitors come and meet our newest addition. Uncle Steve and Aunt Sara Davis were here for Easter weekend. We got a sitter and the four oldest Wheelers (mom, dad, Annika, Lauren) along with S and S headed to the Kohl Children's Museum--it's more popart playland than museum as one thinks of it. Annika like the dolly daycare complete with anatomically correct boy doll. Lauren liked the pint-size Dominick's grocery store. Kids could put on an apron and work the cash registers, too, which beeped when a bar code went across the scanner. The museum also has a Chase ATM which does NOT dispense money, but shows a calculator. Annika's favorite was the Pet Vet station complete with Cat and Dog Scans (ahhahah, I'm so funny!) and xrays. We got a family membership for this next year--it'll be great for winter and it gets us into the Minnesota Kids Museum also.

On Easter Sunday, Uncle Brian, Aunt Rosalie and Cousin Judy Pike were over for dinner. There was quite the egg hunt with four or five adults hiding three little bags with goodies, three Pez eggs, three baskets and plastic eggs with candy and quarters. Annika was up until midnight--I'm guessing eating the whole chocolate bunny did it.

Tonight Uncle Lou (Sandy) Pike and Aunt Kris were here for dinner. Ironically, we saw them 10 months ago. We have pics of them holding Emily then; tonight we took nearly identical pictures of them with Megan. They were up visiting Uncle Brian about an hour away. We really appreciated them taking the time to come into the city. It seems whatever family I'm related to that lived in Chicago at one time really dislikes it now--and that's on both sides! I think Gramma Pat and Aunt Linda will get to meet Megan in July; rumor has it they're coming to town to paint it red for Gramma's 80th birthday.

Last weekend, we made the trek out to the suburbs to see Uncle Steve and Aunt Karen Marcomb and Grandma Dawn. It was the first time for them to meet Megan. Grandma held her a lot--good arm muscles! We had a great time and a great lunch and we all ate too much.

We know we're blessed despite the chaos and lack of time to really spend with each daughter individually. I cherish the few moments Emily will rest her head on my arm or when Lauren will climb up on my lap in the rocking chair. I'm trying to savor each day, but each day seems so filled with chaos, it's hard to watch it in slow motion.