To Vaccinate or Not To Vaccinate... Not a Question for Me

So this is probably going to annoy some of you out there, and that's fine. I truly believe that everyone has the right to make these decisions for themselves as long as they are informed decisions and not just based on the current hype.

I am taking Crazy 3 for his 6 month vaccinations today. I have no issue with this. I am totally anal retentive when it comes to scheduling my children's immunizations. All of them have been done within a couple days of them reaching their milestones.

I personally believe that the pros of having vaccinations far out weigh the cons. The fewer people that vaccinate, the more chance that epidemics can ensue. I do realize that there are valid reasons for not getting vaccinated, I also realize that it is a personal preference, but I also do believe that people are swayed by what they hear and read and it is not always informed.

I looked into the 'toxins' that are present in the immunizations we receive here in Canada and I was OK with the levels and the products that are used. I personally believe that by not immunizing my children, I am contributing to the problem, not the solution.

I know that Crazy 3 will be unhappy with me, I know that he will cry, but I also know that he will get over it as soon as he starts to nurse and that it will hopefully prevent a major illness from happening in the future. This is just my two cents, it is a free country and you can choose as you see fit.

Fundraising Blues

I have come to the conclusion that fundraising is not optional now that Crazy 1 is in kindergarten. It is mandatory and it seems never ending.

In September she came home with Student Union Ticket Packs. We bought one of course, because really, it pays for itself with just the grocery coupons, let alone anything else we use.

Now she has a brochure for Dieleman Fundraising Sales. It is a bunch of cards, gift wrap, calendars and gift items. Not really anything of use to me. I am sure we'll find something, but only because I feel obligated.

I really wish there were ways for better fundraising. While watching Dragon's Den the other night we saw an amazing idea. The idea was that you buy a lot of your regular grocery and personal items through a website that is linked up to your school for fundraising. What an amazing idea! The site is called Wealthy School Revolution and is based in Vancouver. As of right now it is not available here, but it will be soon according to the website.

The other, more practical, fundraising that I just heard about is for my niece. They are collecting Canadian Tire money and the company is going to convert it to real money and donate it to the band program at her school.

I am going to be attending the next Fundraising Council meeting and will provide them with these two ideas. I don't mind giving money to the school, but I would prefer it be in a fashion that is more practical for me. Hopefully one of these two ideas can pan out.

Sickness Invasion

All three crazies are not feeling well to varying degrees today.

Crazy 1 is at the end of it, she still has a stuffed nose, but her voice is back and everything else seems normal.

Crazy 2 is in the middle of it and seemed to get it worse than Crazy 1. He has a runny nose, is coughing, his voice is hoarse and has little appetite (not normal for him).

Crazy 3 only has a stuffy nose for now and I am praying that is all he gets. It is no fun trying to nurse a baby that is coughing and sneezing.

At least the germs decided to get all three kids at the same time so, fingers crossed, it's just this weekend that get messed up. We are having a great old fashioned pajama day today. Tomorrow will most likely be the same. Gotta love sick days!

Freedom... Sort of

I think it's funny that the minute I only have 2 of my 3 crazies for an extended period of time that I have more freedom. It's not really true, but it feels like it is.

Last night, Crazy 1 got to spend the night at Grammy and Grandpa's house as a treat. She went over around 2:00 in the afternoon and will be home sometime this morning.

I called The Husband and suggested we go out for dinner, something special for Crazy 2 as he missed his sister. I then planned on hitting up Walmart and the bank because now I have so much more freedom.

Well, I must say that even with just the two crazies, it still took us 2 hours to have dinner, I ran to the bank only because it was in the same parking lot as the restaurant, and Walmart will have to wait for another day. My thought that we had more freedom didn't really relate to how much time we had.

The problem is when I only have Crazy 3 (which happens twice a week for 2 hours), I can get amazing things accomplished. I assumed with just Crazy 2 and Crazy 3, I could still get something accomplished. At least these lapses in judgement don't happen often. If they did I would feel defeated most of the time.

I did miss Crazy 1, and look forward to her coming home this morning, and the knowledge that if I'm lucky, one task might get crossed off my list as things are back to normal.

Naps... Love Them, Hate Them or Both

Here is my dilemma. Crazy 2 still naps for 2 1/2 to 3 hours every afternoon. I expect Crazy 3 to nap, and nap often he does as he still is just shy of 6 months, but his naps don't impact us tremendously as he is still in the bucket car seat. We can still go out and about and he'll sleep in the car, in the stroller or in the Snuggli.

Crazy 2 likes to nap in his bed. He will fall asleep in the car, and we are able to transfer him, but it seems like the afternoons are a write off to make plans of any sort.

Monday to Friday I LOVE the fact that he naps. It gives me a chance to catch up on household chores, start dinner, spend time with Crazy 1 or just relax.

Weekends and holidays I HATE the fact that he naps. The Husband I want to do family activities, are invited to events and just want to spend time together and it just messes things up.

I should be thankful that he naps so well. I mean Crazy 1 was already not napping most days by the time she was this age, and even when she did I was lucky to get an hour out of her. I just really don't enjoy the fact that we miss out on things because of his nap. Some people suggest just letting him miss his nap, but then we have to deal with a Cranky Monster, because Crazy 2 LOVES his naps. I mean he really LOVES his naps. It's easier to put him down for a nap than it is to put him to bed.

The saving grace to all of this is at least all of my crazies are early risers so we still get to do family outings in the mornings when venues first open and aren't as busy. Some day he will grow out of it, but then I'll just be dealing with Crazy 3.

For the love of Sleepers

I have to say, sleepers are the best invention ever! Especially for little ones that don't walk yet.

We had our first major snowfall of the season through the night, and I had to go out to drive Crazy 2 to playschool this morning. Instead of worrying about what outfit I could put Crazy 3 into and what socks and shoes he might keep on, I just left him in his sleeper and threw on his jacket over top.

You see, Crazy 3 is still in his bucket car seat so I can layer him up with blankets to keep him warm and cover the entire unit to keep the snow off of him. The issue is if he manages to stick his feet out of the blankets. He is already a rock star at getting his shoes and socks off his feet.

I know I really should try and dress my children daily, but there is nothing cuter than a baby in a sleeper. If it wasn't for toilet training, I would keep all my kids in sleepers forever. Even a 4 year old is adorable with their feet all attached to their pajamas.

Maybe I am a bad parent, or maybe just lazy, but I think leaving the babies in sleepers when the weather is crappy and cold is just a smart idea.

A Full Night's Sleep

I find it truly amazing, now that I am a parent, when all of the three crazies sleep for the same 5-7 hours I consider it a good night's sleep.

Crazy 1 is pretty good about sleeping the night. Occasionally she will wake up with a bad dream, but on the whole she sleeps the night. Early riser, but good sleeper.

Crazy 2 has been much better since we moved him to his big boy bed and can now usually find his soother on his own (the soother will be a separate discussion at another time). The Husband did mention he woke up last night for a diaper change but he took care of it so I was none the wiser. Again, an early riser but he does still wake up through the night a couple of times a week.

Crazy 3 on the other hand seems to be on a three hour schedule most nights. He seems to think that I am an all night buffet just waiting for him to arrive. Last night was an exception to the rule. He went to bed at 10:30 PM and slept until 5:30 AM. I went to bed at the same time and actually got 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

All I can say is I felt like a million bucks today! Here's crossing my fingers that this feat will be repeated again tonight.

Elevators, strollers and children OH MY

I love my stroller. Having 3 crazies and lots of jackets, snacks, diapers etc... it is nice to have my stroller along for trips out not only to contain at least 2 of my crazies but to store all the paraphernalia I have to bring with me.

The problem I have is elevators. Most elevators are big enough for at least two strollers and associated adults so it's not really the size of the elevator. Most places have elevators in convenient locations, so that's not it either.

The issue I have with elevators is more the people who choose to use them. I will gladly wait a couple of elevator turns if there are people in wheelchairs that need to use them, I will even wait for other strollers if other children are antsy or not happy. It really irks me when people who are quite capable ride an elevator when there is a line of strollers, wheelchairs etc. waiting. Especially if there are stairs right beside the elevator! I would also like to mention that my complaint is for buildings that are only two floors. Office towers and apartment buildings are in a different category.

When I am out without my stroller, with either Crazy 1 or Crazy 2 (I always have a stroller for Crazy 3 right now) we always take stairs or escalators and leave the elevators to people who actually need them. Sometimes when The Husband is with me at the mall, we even take the escalator with the stroller as he has the height to handle it, I do not.

In the end, to me elevators are a convenience meant for people with limited mobility, not people who are too lazy to climb or descend a few stairs.

Picky Eaters

I am really not sure on how picky eaters happen. I mean, I did nothing different between how I fed Crazy 1 and Crazy 2 but Crazy 1 is so picky and Crazy 2 will eat almost anything.

I was not one to make my own baby food when they started on solids, I'm a little lazy that way, but once they could handle a bit of texture and more substance, I always fed them what we ate. Crazy 1 does not like her food mixed together. For instance, she loves chicken, pasta and broccoli but if I make a casserole and spoon it onto her plate she won't touch it. If I were to separate the components on a plate, even if it was still the same casserole, she'll eat it. Crazy 2 will just eat it and if there is something he doesn't feel like in the casserole, he eats around it.

Lately, ketchup has been my best friend in getting Crazy 1 to eat any meat. She asks for it with everything, chicken, steak, pork, doesn't matter. I figure as long as she is eating her meat and getting her protein, a little ketchup won't kill her. I should be thankful that she at least will eat any vegetable raw without dips of any sort.

The reason this is coming to mind right now is we started Crazy 3 on rice cereal this week. He LOVES to eat. I can't see me doing anything different than I did with the other two so it will be interesting to see how his eating habits and preferences are.

Errand day

Is it wrong to be thankful that on Tuesdays and Thursdays I get two hours with just Crazy 3? With Crazy 1 in kindergarten and Crazy 2 in playschool, it is a great opportunity to get all my errands completed with minimal stress.

Some days I am like Wonder Woman. I get groceries done, a Walmart run in and to the library with around 20 minutes to spare before I have to pick up Crazy 2. Today was a little easier, just a Costco trip, but a nice relaxing one. I got to look at whatever I wanted without rushing before a meltdown occurred.

I forgot sometimes how peaceful things can be with just one child around. Running errands, especially shopping, with all three can put me at the end of my rope. Thank goodness for school!

Haircuts for all

Today I took Crazy 2 for a haircut. I go to Beaner's, the kids haircut place because one I am too lazy and two he has curls that I just adore and want to keep under control.

The girl that cuts his hair is the only person to have ever cut his hair or Crazy 1's hair until yesterday. The only reason I mention this is because Crazy 1 decided to try a hand at it herself. When she got home from kindergarten yesterday, The Husband noticed a decent chunk of hair was missing from her piggy tail.

You have to love the logic of a 4 1/2 year old. Her reasoning for cutting her hair was that she thought it was too long and it wouldn't matter because hair grows back. We tried to explain to her that it takes a while for it to grow, but I don't think she quite understands. After her bath, while The Husband was brushing her hair, she asked if it had grown back yet.

The saving grace to this is that even though there is a chunk quite a bit shorter, it is still long enough to get into a pony tail and pig tails. The saddest part is that she has picture retakes next week, thank goodness we didn't have to get it all chopped off.

As for Crazy 3, no haircuts yet. We still get to look forward to what hair colour he'll have!

Parent volunteering

Tonight I went to my first Parent Council meeting and Fundraising Council meeting for Crazy 1's school.

As this is my first exposure to this as she is the first of my children to go to school, I was a little shocked. My expectations were obviously a lot higher for the attendance and I must say I was a little disappointed in how many parents were there.

I have always felt that my children's education should be a big part of my life and I have the responsibility as a parent to be informed as possible. I do admit that I am not as able to be as involved as I would like due to Crazy 2 and Crazy 3, but I will most likely more than make up for that by the time Crazy 3 is attending school.

My disappointment came from the fact that for the first meeting there were maybe 25 parents, most of whom came because the Volunteer Orientation was part of the Council meeting. When the Fundraising Council meeting started, the amount of parents that stayed was cut in half. I guess my expectation was that there would be about twice that amount of parents. It seems that most of the work falls to a few dedicated parents. I have the utmost respect for those parents that do step up do accomplish the Lion's Share of the work and only hope to live up to that when I have more time.

I know that my time commitment may be limited at this stage, but I still want to make sure that I have as much information as possible about what is happening at the school and have some input on direction and ideas for the future. Who knows, maybe all of this is just some of the control freak in me, but to me, you can't complain if you aren't informed.

How many is too many?

So I went to a baby shower yesterday afternoon and got to see the little guy on his one month birthday. He was so tiny and still had the little baby cry, something Crazy 3 lost about a month ago. It was great to see my friend so happy in motherhood, enjoying her new little bundle. Now here comes the crazy part....

I already want to have another little crazy to add to my family. Crazy 3 is only 5 1/2 months, but I just don't feel like our little family is complete. I miss the constant snuggles, I miss the little baby squeaks and cries. The Husband reminds me of the lack of sleep which we are still suffering through, he reminds me of all my labour and deliveries of which 8 hours has been my shortest.

Most everyone I have talked to about this thinks I am totally insane. My family, friends, they all think I should stop now. The Husband has not made up his mind. He figures we will see how things go over the next 6 months and talk about it when Crazy 3 is turning 1. He is not against it, but he is definitely more logical about it than I am.

There are all kinds of arguments on why we should stop now. The main argument is that three children cost a lot of money. Clothing and feeding them alone is a lot. Then you have to think about activities and education. I figure I'm already saving a bunch in clothing as I kept everything from both Crazy 1 and Crazy 2 so I'm set.

There are also many arguments in favour of us having one more child. The biggest is that there will be no one left out. There would be no 'middle' child. If we are truly lucky, we would have another girl and then we'd have 2 of each.

The main thing is, this is a decision for The Husband and I to make. Although I do appreciate all the advice and options of EVERYONE, I think that whatever decision we make will be the right one for us and our family.

Does the early bird really get the worm?

All of my crazies are early risers and all of them since birth. They go through phases occasionally of sleeping until 7:00 AM and when that happens it's like the angels are singing praises from above! I feel like a million dollars if my clock has a seven as the first number when awoken by one of the children.

This morning was no different. Crazy 3 decided at 4:30 AM he needed to be fed and refused to go back into his crib, which meant he stayed in bed with me. Crazy 2 woke up at 5:45 AM, but The Husband got up with him and shut our bedroom door hoping to allow me to get some extra sleep. Alas, that was not to be, Crazy 1 came in around 6:15 AM to let me know she couldn't sleep. That was when Crazy 3 decided to rouse as well. All in all, I managed to stay in bed until around 6:45 AM. Notice the clock did not have a seven at the beginning.

I don't believe that by getting up early I am any more productive than if I could sleep until 7:00 AM. I actually think that I am lazier and lacking in motivation due to lack of sleep. I don't think I am being greedy in wanting to sleep just a little bit, I don't think it's greedy to expect that with three kids I could maybe sleep until 7:00 AM. If I wanted to sleep until 10:00 AM then fine, I deserve my fate for having 3 little ones.

I say this now, but I am sure that when they are teens and are all trying to sleep until noon, my story will be the complete opposite of now. Only time will tell I guess.

The beginning of something.... well something

I have been meaning to start a new blog of some sort for awhile now. Tossed ideas around with The Husband and never could come up with something that I thought I could commit to on a regular if not daily basis. Then it hit me this morning. Why not just blog about my life in candid terms, the glorious life I live as a Stay at Home Mom.

When I woke up this morning, I knew it would not be an overly productive day, so I thought why not create something to distract me from all the things that needed doing. Thus my new blog has been created.

Getting woken up by Crazy 3 at 5:00 AM and having him wake Crazy 2 at 5:30 AM was just the start to me lacking in motivation. Crazy 1 joined us downstairs around 6:00 AM and then the madness began. By 7:00 AM, my house looked like a bomb went off in a toy store. The Barbie bin was dumped in the hallway, all the cars were on the floor just outside the kitchen and the bin of jewellery (aka the Pirate Treasure) was all over the living room floor. Just looking at the mess was enough for me to declare today a Nothing Day.

Nothing Days consist of as many of us as possible staying in pajamas, minimal chores getting done (dishes, cooking and maybe laundry if absolutely necessary) and that is about it. Nothing Days are where my motivation to get the pantry reorganized, the floors washed and the old clothes sorted through go out the window. There are a lot of Nothing Days in my life and I am OK with that. The flip side to Nothing Days is that cuddles are abundant, stories are read, songs are sung and crafts are made.

In The Husbands words, I am not the greatest housekeeper, but he thinks I am a pretty great Mother and I would much rather be the latter!