So the summer is winding down and it is so nice to have all my children home. Remy came home less than two weeks ago and Jackie came home this past Thursday.Originally Jackie was going to stay at my in-laws until the end of September, but she was so homesick and I was spending all morning on Skype or FaceTime that we decided it would be best for her to come back sooner. My mother came to visit the same day Remy and Jenny flew in and spent the week with us. She left the morning that Jackie and my in-laws arrived to spend the weekend with us. It was nice having family visit and made for a nice transition from the two babies back to four kids.
Jackie celebrated her third birthday in Long Island and it's a tiny bit better having a three-year-old Jackie vs. a two-year-old Jackie. She listens, speaks and understands a little bit better. I think she gave my in-laws a run for their money over the past 6 weeks. One day I'll have to write a book about the misadventures of Baby Jackie because she always manages to get into something. It is very hard not to compare your children to each other, but it happens. Jackie unfortunately follows behind Remy, who at her age was a dream child he hardly caused any mischief. Jackie, however, prefers to march to the beat of her own drum. She is a very determined and independent person who thinks that "no" means do it when your back is turned. So, I found it extremely comical when I would talk to my in-laws and hear all about how bad Baby Jackie was, at least now they know I don't make these things up. However, now that I've had a break I'm so happy to have my daughter home! She follows me everywhere and even though I still don't understand 50% of the stuff she says, she talks so much better. Her personality lights up the room. We're hoping to get her in gymnastics this September, because as my best friend Tia says, "Everyone wants to be Gabby Douglas." But seriously, Jackie is a ball of energy and I'm tired of her jumping and climbing on everything. I'm afraid she's gonna break her neck following behind Remy.
Remy got his tonsils and adenoids out this past Friday and he was such a champ. He was so nervous about getting it done the week before the procedure and kept asking me if he was going to die (I remember being obsessed with the fear of dying or one of my loved ones dying when I was about the same age.) I felt so bad watching him fight back tears and put a smile on. But of course when they read the forms to you they have to mention that death is a possibility, and in my head I'm thinking "great, Remy is sitting right there." However, the neat thing was they offered tours of the center which we did and was great at easing his fear, and he was great on the day of surgery. I won't lie, after hearing about the healing process and worse case scenarios I know that I do not ever want to have that done. I can't even look in the back of his mouth, but I just keep telling him how good he's doing and it's ok. But the people were great and Remy did well, but I will be glad once he is all healed. There were some smaller kids there that got the same thing done and they woke up screaming and crying it was so sad. I was glad that Remy only shed a few tears and slept most of the time. And all I was thinking was great I will probably get to go through this all over again with Jackie and Zane.
It was nice having time alone with Zane and Zander without the big kids. It's neat watching their little personalities emerge and develop. What's crazy is Zane is turning out to be more like how Remy was at that age and Zander is more like how Jackie was. Zander still refuses to walk, I'll give him to 15 months before I see of he will benefit from occupational therapy. He's still smaller than Zane but he terrorizes him by taking stuff, from toys to his blankie (they have the exact same one mind you and they won't sleep without them) and making him scream and cry. It's very annoying. It's always the littlest one that causes the most trouble. Don't get me wrong Zane is not all innocent either. His thing is throwing toys and 60% of the time Zander is in the direct path of whatever Zane can reach. If I give one a sippy cup or a cracker it only takes about 5 seconds before they start behaving like the Hunger Games. They will push each other and pull hair to get what the other has. As mean as they can be to each other they are also equally kind. Zane will share his broccoli with Zander and Zander will give him carrots. They make each other laugh which is really cute. Lately Zane has become extremely clingy and wants to be held all the time and he's the heaviest one. Who would have thought that doing the flex arm hang in middle school was really to prepare me for holding babies all day.
I won't lie, I was very nervous to have all four children home. I'm entering into a whole new phase of parenting and saying goodbye to the baby stage, it's a little intimidating. Remy will be starting first grade this September and I'm hoping that he has a good year. He is working on being a master at talking back, which triggers my inner Homer Simpson, so we will definitely be working on manners. I'm hoping that he doesn't have too many issues with his asthma and vomiting (yeah, I have one of those kids that vomits at the drop of a dime... most annoying thing in the world. I no longer carry a purse, but a Mary Poppins bag. Sometimes I feel like Macgyver, give me a plastic bag and some baby wipes and I can do/create almost anything. So anyway, everyone one is home and I don't think I could be any happier. There's a completeness having everyone together. Our goals for the rest of the year are getting Remy focused back on his speech and not talking about how bad baby Jackie is in front of her, I wouldn't want that to be an adjective that she associates herself with. It's been a whirlwind of a summer and I think those are simple enough tasks, yet I'm sure it will still be a challenge on my patience to no end. Thank God for summer vacations and grandparents I'm now recharged for the up coming school year.
