About Being Efficient

Being the mother of four take patience, planning, and efficiency. I knew this early on. So when the Dr needed to see Peter just five days after he was born and Talmage was due for his 18 month checkup, i thought i would efficiently combine the two. Now remember it was just days after giving birth and since it was a hard pregnancy it was a very slow recovery.
Except a few things made this visit not so efficient. Like getting there late because i am not yet used to preparing two babies. Like Talmage refusing to leave the play area when the nurse called us back, and running away from me once i did get him out, and repeating this three times - each time squeezing back further between toys and kids and chairs. This made all the other calm, put-together moms in the waiting room start to murmur and wonder to each other if there was some way they could help me. And when the nurse did come pick up Talmage up he started screaming.
The toy trucks in the exam room calmed him efficiently. I got both boys undressed and in dry diapers and then started nursing Peter. (see, efficient change BOTH diapers, then wash, then feed) Except it wasn't so efficient when Peter had his first and only blowout. So now we were both covered in mess and he had to be changed again. Just in time for the nurse to come get us to weigh the boys. I coaxed a nervous Talmage out into the hallway reassuring him it would be fine. I used my happiest Mom voice to suggest "Well put Peter up first to see how big he is!" I thought this would efficiently demonstrate to Talmage that it was fine and fun to be weighed. Except when i set Peter on the scale he started screaming, so Talmage flatly refused to stay on the scale. And rather than let him jump off to his death (that would not be efficient) we skipped the weighing. So now both boys are crying and i cannot effectively calm either one. Finally Talmage decides he will be fine as long as he can bring two huge dinosaur toys to the room with him. Except they are almost bigger than him and he cannot carry them. So now i am herding Talmage, carrying Peter, and carrying a dinosaur. The nurse is kind enough to carry the second dinosaur. Back in the room we happily waited for the doctor. When she came in i thought we would try the Peter first tactic again to prove to Talmage that it really is fine to get checked by the doctor. But Peter started crying again and then his circumsision had to be fixed so then he was really screaming. Talmage had a death grip on the back of my leg and huge eyes wondering what this doctor does to people. But we finally got Peter calmed down and Talmage on the table and things went pretty smoothly until we left and Talmage again tried to escape to the play area. But i just forgot about all the rules of recovery and pick up both boys. Who cares about the "don't lift anything heavier than your baby" rule anyway - my sanity was at stake here. Maybe next time we'll skip the doctor and just do at home care.

"Say 'Ahhh', Peter"

Four Kids is . . .

Four kids is . . .
The following stains on Talmage's shirt after his first and only wearing:
*tootsie roll drool (from the candy i gave him in a desperate attempt to calm him so i could take care of the baby)
*mud drool (from the mud he decided to eat while we sat out in our backyard to try to stay distracted)
*dirty, mucky water (this on his back from going down the rain soaked slide)
and last but certainly not least
*blood (which dripped down from his head, across his eye, and onto his shirt after he fell on the gravel strewn playground)

Four kids is . . .
chaos, but mostly a happy chaos. We are slowly adjusting. I think we are going to make it through these first hard weeks and then i will get back to blogging about all the wonderful visitors we have had.

Here is my new Mothers Day picture. With all four of my lovely children.

Fourth, Yet First - Peter Hinckley King

Well, for everyone who has been waiting (and for those who haven't, too) we had our baby this morning. His name is Peter Hinckley King. He may be our fourth child, but he gets First Place in several ways:

- He was our first baby actually born on his due date (Morgan and Emma were both two days early, and Talmage was a week late). But even if that hadn't happened, he was bound to have a good birthday. How can you not when you are choosing from May Day, Cinco de Mayo, or even May 4 (as Leslie's sister, Holly, put it, "May the fourth be with you")?

- He was our heaviest baby at 7 lbs. 13 oz. (21" long for those interested in statistics). Luckily he still had a small head.

- Peter also wins the prize (if that is the correct word) for the longest hospital labor period, clocking in at approximately 25 times longer than either Emma or Talmage (of course with them, we were only in the hospital for about 15 minutes before they were born). With Leslie's history, we wanted to make sure we got to the hospital in time. We arrived at 11:30 PM last night to have the doctor (who we had called to let him know we were on our way) tell us the baby was still quite high up and that he was going to go home to sleep. Leslie was able to have an epidural, but ended up needing pytocin after her contractions died down. Once she was finally dilated, though, Peter came quickly and was born at 8:30 this morning. As a plus, there was actually a doctor present (although our doctor actually went off call at 7:00 AM).

Well, I'll get on to more of what you are really after: the pictures.








One of the best things was to see how excited Talmage was to see his new baby brother. We'll see how long it lasts!





Talmage was so sweet!

The descendents of Nathan and Leslie

We have not had our baby yet, but while we wait i thought i'd report on our other wondrous progeny.
Progeny #1 - Morgan - Loves to analyze, argue and tease , has recently started entertaining himself in sacrament meeting by doing math problems to decode secret messages, charmed me with his scholarly appearance when he put the pencil behind his ear so he could fold his arms during sacrament. Recently while pulling out bamboo (it grows as a weed in our yard) he found that the thicker stalks broke off more easily than the skinny ones and made this observation, "Bamboo and people work the same; when they get fat they don't have much strength, but when they stay skinny they have a lot of strength." Made me laugh!

Progeny #2 - Emma - Loves to sing, dance, and dramatize, has started to tell us stories about "the lonely princess" (maybe this has something to do with the fact that she will soon have three brothers and no sisters), After a service project at the temple she repeatedly told us how she felt a happy spirit at the temple and because she was obeying the parents. She can have some serious attitude but can also be very sweet.

Progeny #3 - Talmage - Loves to run and roar and make trouble, we often think we should have just named him "danger" because of all the climbing, bonking and falling he does, he loves to lay on his belly when doing things that require concentration like reading books, coloring or observing grass and bugs up close, during family prayer he starts with arms folded then quickly gets up to bonk the kids on the head or try to make them laugh and usually folds his arms again before we say "Amen", crazy yet cute.

Progeny #4 - ???? - Apparently has no desire to leave the cramped quarters of my belly, doesn't let Mom sleep much, the kids have decided that he is definitely nocturnal, name suggestions are welcome.

And just so Nate doesn't feel left out and because he is the handsomest part of our family here is one more picture of all our boys.

A Hard Job

This is when i love being a Mom

Nate was out of town last week from Tuesday morning until Friday night. His company sent him to Texas to stay in a nice hotel on the beach and learn how to do his job better. He called me on Thursday night to tell me about the incredibly fancy dinner he had just been treated to. He was fed a tasty steak with beautifully presented and yummy vegetables on the side. He talked to interesting people during dinner.

I had just eaten frozen french fries and fishsticks. We had sliced cucumbers served in a plastic baby bowl as our side. I tried to have some conversation with my three little kids while coaxing them to eat.

As Nate talked to me after his dinner, he was walking down to the heated, beautiful pool for a nice evening swim to get a little exercise.

After dinner i cleaned up, got three kids in pajamas, teeth brushed, scriptures read, prayers said, and finally in bed; then i washed dishes and made school lunches for the next day. I barely had time for a heated shower, let alone any exercise.

Sometime during our phone call it hit me, Motherhood is a hard job! And in my quiet, lonely house i had a little bit of a melt down. There is always more work for a mom to do and most of it is not at all glamorous. There are very few tangible benefits for a mom. I do not get taken out on business lunches, my "company" will probably never voluntarily send me on a business trip to the beach even if it is to learn how to do my job better. If i do go on such a trip it will require much planning and coordinating to ensure that everyone survives while i am away. I do not get "vacation days" or "sick days" or "paid holidays". I do not get to collaborate with people from around the world to increase and improve productivity. And most of the "projects" i work on each day get undone before my "boss" even gets to review my performance. Don't i deserve all those little perks too?

But in that sadness i forced myself to list the benefits of my career. Like Talmage jabbering about everything as we run errands and giving me big smiles when i glance back, like Morgan climbing into my bed to give me a long hug in the mornings, like being the first person to hear about Emma's day, like a husband who loves me and appreciates all that i do (even if the house is crazy every evening when he gets home), like getting a hug and an "I love you" from my kids when i drop them off for school. Like collaborating with some of the finest mothers and best friends ever at our weekly playgroups (many different groups throughout the years who have all blessed and taught me). Like knowing my kids better than anyone else. Like knowing i am doing what the Lord wants me to do. It is actually a really long list. The more i thought about it i thought i really do love my kids and my husband and i am glad that i get to be here for them and get to be the one they rely on. And the biggest benefit is that i get to keep all of them forever. My "retirement savings" will never run out, benefits will never expire. What i teach my kids and the people they become will be with me always. I still say it is a really hard job, but i guess it is all worth it, right now and in the end.


POST EDIT: I've had this post composed for a week now but wasn't able to publish it because of a broken computer. As it turns out this last weekend my "company" (i.e., my wonderful husband and some dear friends) sent me on a weekend vacation. Nate kidnapped me away on Friday evening for a get away while friends watched our kids. We ate at a nice restaurant and stayed in a nice hotel (no view of the beach but it was OK). It was a nice, much needed rest. The best part of all was that on Saturday we got to go to the temple together. I got a little divine instruction on how to do this most eternal job a little better. It was such a blessing. Thanks to everyone who helped make it happen.

Happenings

After a long blogging absense i thought i should put up at least some evidence that we are still here. It has been a long winter with much too much time inside and so many too many germs being shared.
This is the kind of trouble Talmage got into one evening. (notice his beginnings of a black-eye)

Last week we got one nice warm day and we spent the afternoon outside. (Morgan really was happy, I guess the camera just missed it). The kids explored the yard and we all soaked up the sun until we couldn't handle the dropping temperatures anymore. It was Lovely!

And now Talmage says, "Please, no more, i'm trying to work here!"
Hope you are all having a good winter too.

Morgan's Birthday Party

For his 6th birthday, Morgan wanted to have a party and do some science experiments. We had a lot of fun putting it together, as you can see in the video below! We'll add a description of the experiments we did and a brief explanation of what is happening below, as well (not all of the experiments are shown in the video). Morgan (and Emma) had a good time with the friends he invited over.




Making Gak
Solution A (mix until completely dissolved):
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 2 cups white glue
- food coloring

Solution B (mix until completely dissolved):
- 4 teaspoons borax (available in laundry aisle)
- 1 1/3 cups warm water

Pour solution A into Solution B. Do not try to thoroughly mix! Lift the Gak out and knead it into shape.

What’s happening:
The molecules in white glue are long, straight chains of polyvinyl acetate. Borax (sodium borate) causes reactions between these molecules and ends up hooking the chains together to make a big, rubbery network.

Invisible Ink
Use a toothpick to write with lemon juice on a piece of paper and allow it to dry. Apply heat to the paper using an iron, hair straightener, or other method. Heat will cause the invisible ink to turn brown.

What’s happening:
The lemon juice is an acid that weakens the molecules in the paper and causes that area to turn brown (or burn) more easily than the rest of the paper. You may also notice that areas of your skin that have touched lemon juice will be sunburned more easily.

Volcano in a Bottle
Mix baking soda and vinegar in a bottle and watch it bubble and froth!

What’s happening:
Baking soda (a base) reacts with vinegar (an acid) to form carbon dioxide (a gas).

Invisible Fire Extinguisher
Immediately after mixing baking soda and vinegar together in a bottle, “pour” the gas in the bottle over a candle (try to keep the baking soda and vinegar in the bottle, or at least keep it just far enough away from the candle flame that no baking soda or vinegar are poured on the flame). The flame will go out!

What’s happening:
The carbon dioxide formed from the reaction between the baking soda and vinegar is heavier than air and can be “poured” onto the candle flame, extinguishing it as oxygen needed for the candle to burn is displaced by the carbon dioxide.

Wild Wacky Colors
Pour a small amount of milk in a pan (just enough to cover the bottom). Add a few drops of different colors of food coloring near the middle of the pan. Add a couple of drops of dish detergent to the middle of the pan and watch the colors instantly spread out!

What’s happening:
The detergent breaks the surface tension of the milk and causes the food coloring to spread out.

Burning Candle in a Jar
Set a burning candle in a pie tin full of water and place a glass jar upside down over the candle. The candle will burn for a few seconds before the flame is extinguished and water is sucked up inside the jar.

What’s happening:
The candle needs oxygen to burn. Once the oxygen in the air inside the jar is used up, the flame goes out. While the candle is burning, the flame is heating the air in the jar and making it expand (you will probably see bubbles come out the bottom of the jar through the water as some of it escapes). Once the flame is out, the air in the jar begins to cool again, causing it to contract. The air pressure outside the jar forces water up into the jar.

Turning a Glass of Water Upside Down
Fill a glass with water, and place a piece of thin cardboard (could be cut from a cereal box) over the entire top opening. While holding the cardboard in place, carefully turn the glass upside down. The cardboard will hold the water in the cup!

What’s happening:
Placing the cardboard over the top of the glass leads to only a very small area of water (around the rim of the glass) to be exposed to the air when the glass is turned upside down. The surface tension of the water keeps any air from getting into the cup. The pressure of the air on the bottom of the cardboard holds it up and prevents it and the water from falling down.

Blowing on Paper
Create two stacks of books on a table a few inches apart and a few inches high. Place a sheet of paper over the two stacks and blow through the tunnel between the paper and the table. Rather than being blown upward, the paper will be sucked down. Next, cut a strip of paper about an inch wide and several inches long. Hold it between your fingers and blow over the top of the paper, making the paper lift up.

What’s happening:
What’s happening here is the same thing that makes airplanes able to fly. Faster moving air creates an area of slightly lower pressure than in areas of slower moving air. This area of lower pressure causes the paper to be sucked down or up, respectively. The front edge of an airplane wing is shaped in such a way as to force the air moving over the top of it to move faster, creating an area of lower pressure above the wing and lifting the airplane.

The Bouncing Aluminum Ball
Make a marble-sized ball of aluminum foil at the end of a piece of thread that is several inches long. Tape a piece of aluminum foil (a few inches square) to the screen of a CRT television. Hold the thread so that the aluminum foil ball is hanging against the aluminum foil on the TV, and turn the TV on. Slowly move a finger of your other hand closer to the aluminum foil ball until it begins to bounce rapidly back and forth between your finger and the aluminum foil on the TV.

What’s happening:
A CRT (cathode-ray tube) TV works by shooting electrons at the screen. The aluminum foil on the screen collects the electrons, making it negatively charged. The aluminum foil ball becomes negatively charged when it touches the foil on the TV and is repelled (like charges repel). Your finger (because of the high water content in your body) acts as an electrical ground. When the foil ball touches your finger, it is discharged and is once again attracted to the foil on the screen. When it touches the screen, it is attracted to your hand again. If the TV is turned off, the foil ball will continue bouncing back and forth between your finger and the foil on the TV screen until all the static electricity is transferred.