Mia's Pref

 Midnight til 2:00 a.m. Pre-Pref date: 80's Skating at Classic

Mia and Talmage

Dinner in the Rose room at Thanksgiving Point, then the Dance. Afterward, played HORSE, Catch Phrase, and watched "Great Gatsby" at Lauren's. 

While I and the other parents followed these guys around taking pics, I realized this was one of Mia's very last high school dances. Wow. Getty would be next up... but that wouldn't be for quite awhile, right?.... wait. Oh no. OHHHHH No. Getty turns 16 this summer. Which means, he could actually ask someone to Homecoming this September. 

You've got to be kidding me.

The Christmas Break that Wasn't

Not a lot of sipping hot cocoa in front of the fire watching the snow fall. I put up so much decor it looked like Christmas exploded in our house. I promised myself I'd never have more than one tree, but with Elle's Festival of Trees "Drama Queen" replica and my own mini "Princess" Elle tree, I basically have no choice in the matter, right? Next year, maybe I'll just put up the trees.

The day after Christmas, both M&M got their wisdom teeth out, which meant meds and changing out ice packs every three hours, day and night, for 48 hours and beyond. 

BEFORE:

AFTER:

MK, tears streaming down her face, kept asking to see where Dad's car was on the freeway as he followed us. She bawled as she pointed out to Mia that her head wrap was green and Mia's was red, "like Christmas." She often reassured me with sign language that she wasn't sad at all (between sobs). 

Mia just sat whimpering. Then laughing. Then started crying because she wanted to "swallow so hard!!" ... and told me she felt normal. When Rob put her in her seatbelt, she asked him "Why are you being so mean??"

  

M&M both regressed about 15 years, so I got to baby them... 

a couple days of that cured me.

Then Getty got sick. Then Mia got sick. Mia never gets sick. She often thinks she's sick and even yearns to be sick. But this time it was for real, and I was on call once again.

Rob worked a ton during the break—printers broke down while jobs came flooding in. I snuck up on him late one night with the camera flash as he walked in from work. 

(He's used to his celebrity status around here.)

At least the kids had fun...

 On Sundays they set up fun stuff to do with the family like black light Ping Pong

and "Pong Ping" with my lazy susan turntable

... while Cam and I watched "Mary Poppins." 

Getty's new Stadium slide entrance doubled as a platform for King of the Hill

For Besser's birthday, MK and accomplices Luis and Skyler kidnapped and blindfolded Besser, drove him around in circles, and then led him down our backyard path to the basement black light dance surprise party. 

Since he was turning 21, they had root "beer" and Martinelli's Sparkling Cider in plastic mini "shot" cups with pizzas and a sheet cake.

Soon after Besser's birthday, we headed to Midway for one last weekend of fun with the family. When MK left for Hawaii, the late-night parties died down, and I packed up all the Christmas decor. 

And now...  for that long winter's nap.

ya right

Midway

Wait— who was that?

Original plan was to go tubing at Soldier Hollow, but it was sold out. Back in the parking lot, an older lady and several friends walked by and asked Rob, "Are you coming to my birthday party?" He replied, "I'm the entertainment!" 
Ha!

We headed back to the pool and then went ice skating. 

This is Getty's idea of suitable winter gear: 

This was Cam's first time ice skating, but he picked it right up. 

 Cy, on the other hand...

looked like this most of the time...

Getty's signature slide move

 McKenzie, hahahaha

ahahahahahaha

See Cy there in the back? hahaha

Our family is good at having fun and being flexible, but not so good at transitioning (packing, getting out the door, unpacking...). Rob says, "You guys get to the 5 yard line and then drop the ball!" Fair amount of barking going on in-between those hug fests of ours. 

And then there are those of us (remaining nameless) who are leaving for Hawaii tomorrow until April and who, instead of doing laundry and packing, plan to be out all night with friends. 

I'd say that's a safety. For the opposing team.

Problem-solving Styles in Strong Willed Children

In the shower, with three of our kids home and my bedroom door locked, I get exactly 13 separate knocks on my door. All three kids need to get into my bedroom/bathroom... not in ten or fifteen minutes, but NOW.

This has caused me to reflect on the various tactics and strategies each of our kids uses to get his/her way. 

MK: "I just need to come in to get one thing. And I'm soooo late. And I won't be back home til the middle of the night, then leaving for the airport at 6:00 a.m. So you can see how my emergency is now your emergency...."

Mia: [BANG BANG BANG on the door]: "MOM!! OPEN THE DOOR!" 

"Is this an emergency?" 

"HURRY!! OPEN THE DOOR!!" I go dripping wet with a towel around me to the door and open it, she blows past me and grabs a ponytail holder.

Getty: Makes an unbelievably loud commotion in the hallway on the other side of my shower wall to make me think he's met with some unfortunate accident. I come running out my door to find him laughing—so delighted, in fact, that he's forgotten what he needed in my bathroom in the first place.

Cy: Stands at the door and says, "Mom!" 347 times until my shower is over. 
And they say persistence is a virtue.

Cam: I say, "I'm in the shower. I'll help you when I get out." Tears fill his eyes, he hangs his head and sulks off to find a blanket to put over his head and wait until I get out.

Elle: Screams in her highest pitch and then threatens, "Mom! I need to go pee—only in your toilet!" And then, if I wait too long to respond, she'll leave a puddle just outside my door. (She could pee on demand.) 

 
I'm strong-willed myself, so I've considered running away, putting myself up for adoption, banging my head against a wall—all viable options, but I figure it's safer to be accessible ... though my sanity is at risk.