12/30/08 Full Day

Amazing how much fuller and more intense a day with all three kids by myself is than a day of going to work. As though this is news.

Today:

Gabriel earned himself two hours of timeout in his room by 9:30am.

Gabriel tossed his Bear into the air (as he so often does and is not allowed) in his room, and hit the glass light shade on the ceiling. It broke and came crashing down, hitting his head and then breaking into pieces on the carpet. I had to carry him outside to brush glass bits out of his hair. He never cried. I would have.

I had to lock the backyard door when the boys left it open for the 315th time to prove a point. Oh, oops, are you guys outside? Oh WELL. Julian cried, Gabriel growled and threatened to punch me.

A misguided effort to illustrate the introspection and discipline of martial arts went awry, when I showed the boys Kung Fu demonstrations on YouTube. As I should have expected, they went on a total rampage afterward ("Hi-YAH!!"). Note to self: well, duh.

An enormous box arrived today, and the kids opened gifts from Uncle Ronan and Anney. Katrina got a penguin that's nearly as big as she is, and watching her carry it around giggling is priceless. The boys are beside themselves with their car toys. Thank goodness this arrived last, Uncle Ronan always upstages everyone else.

And I found the perfect craft table to replace the nasty dark-brown 1970s oak stereo cabinet that the previous owners of our house left behind, that's served us as a hokey "craft area" for years. This is my best news of the day.

Somehow this morning I managed to plan a trip to south San Jose, and then letterboxing in Los Altos right afterward. Those up on Bay Area geography know that this isn't exactly "on the way." I was in a hurry when I chose this letterbox, and did so because it was the first one I came across that was Katrina-friendly (no hiking). Then again, sitting for the required 4 minutes or so to exchange stamps isn't Katrina-friendly no matter what.

The real attraction of letterboxing is going to parks or other places where the letterbox is planted. This was a park we'd been to before, but only briefly after doctor's visits. The kids all had a great time playing on the play structures.

Katrina can sort-of clumsily run now, looking like she's going to trip with every step.

I was very surprised that she tried -- and succeeded -- climbing up to, and on top of, this rock bridge. This is quite doable by a 2-year-old, but a first for this unathletic 2-year-old.


Gabriel hawked over her protectively.


She was very enthusiastic about the slide until she actually had to look down.


Julian pretended to be barely hanging onto a steep slide, and then would let go and slide down with an "aaaAAAAHHHH!"

I was chatting with another mom who also has 2 boys and a girl, same agespans, but her oldest is only 4 (and her baby is only 1 month). She seemed anxious about Julian's apparent distress, and unsure what to make of my response, which was to glance his way and take a picture. Rookie.

Finally, time to find the letterbox. Katrina was unwittingly very funny in her usual instant contrariness when the letterbox hunt included counting steps. "No!" she protested, "I can't count!"

It took some real looking, and I had to return to the car to get the stroller to contain Katrina, but we did find it. The boys were thrilled.


I love photos like this. Life appears so idyllic. Then, an hour later, you're brushing glass shards out of your son's hair.


Or worse, you're committing the offense of insisting on closing the front door. Katrina was outraged. I captured an amusing little clip of her tantrum -- and bonus! The camera defused it.


Later, I showed all three the video of Katrina throwing the tantrum. Katrina didn't seem to understand that it was actually her. "That's crying baby!" she observes. The boys found it very funny.


Today I feel like I've lived a week. Netflix delivered my next "Desperate Housewives" DVD today. I'm so there.

12/30/08