This is 8 years old

 

Noah is eight

Wow Noah is eight today!

At eight, we see all the signs of Noah trying to navigate the world around him. He is teaching us how to be better parents and we frankly, are making all our mistakes on him. Yet, I can see his resilience and determination. We found an old gingerbread house kit the other day that he begged to open. After letting him try his hand in unsuccessfully icing the pieces, I told him I didn't think he could build it. He said to me, "No, I never give up." And then went on to somehow get the house to standing.

Noah, we love you. You are the life and activity of our family, and your brothers could not look up to you more. Happy birthday Noah bear!

Easter

Functioning with three

When Sam was born, the boys were 4.5, 21 months and 0. In order to load all three in our car parked far away, I would: 1) carry newborn Sam with one arm, 2) grab Max's hand with my other hand to walk to the car with the diaper bag slung off this shoulder, 3) use my Max hand to open the car door, let Noah climb in, drop my bag on the car floor, and lift/shove Max in, 4) shut the door and walk to the other side to buckle Sam in, and then 5) walk back to the first side to buckle Max in. 

It's funny how you get used to doing something forever, until you realize one day that you're not! Here are a few things I am doing right now to help me survive the needs, demands, moods, opinions and drama of my kids...

Bathroom water. They refill their water at the bathroom sink because they can reach without my help.

Share underwear. At this point, I just divide.  

Someone will always go hungry. Inevitably someone is not going to be happy with what I feed them. I rotate through who's going hungry that day. 

Craft box. We store some of our trash/recyclables in a big bin and when they complain of boredom, I direct them to their "craft box". 

 

How fast they are growing up!

Ski week, broken wrist, and a sweet song

A few weeks ago we took our annual winter trip to Tahoe with the Chern grandparents during the kids' February break, dubbed ski week around here.

Hesitant Max was not a huge fan of all this but I'm proud of him for keeping at it. 

Grandpa Chern and his new skiing buddy...

Noah and I at the top. As his mother I kept yelling from behind for him to slow down, which largely fell on deaf ears. 

It was freezing this year, but we had a good time skiing until I slipped on ice (walking) the last day and fractured my wrist.  So I am now stuck at home with one working hand for six weeks!

In other news, Max made this sweet song for his big bro the other day...