A Pet Reindeer

This past week, my boss' maternity leave ended, and I was officially on my own with all 4 little munchkins! What an adventure! The first day, was eerily smooth. The baby was so easy going, and took his bottles like a champ. The toddlers were, somehow, calm and playing well together (I know, right?), and the 4 year old was happy as could be in her pretend "Frozen" universe! The second day was just as great! Then, there was today....

First of all, I will start off by saying that when I bought my minivan, it seemed so big, and I was sure I could fit endless amounts of children in it. This was definitely a complete misconception. Once you have more than 2 kids in the seats, that van gets small! Not to mention, with the young kids, the latch system is the recommended way to restrain. Well, in my new fancy car, the designers decided to put the latch system in between 2 seats. Who does that? I just lost the capability for another kid! Conspiracy? Psh,...absolutely.  Anyway, I have a child under the age of 2, that needs to be rear facing in the back row. I thought that I could open the hatch, lift him over the seat, and buckle him in this way. No joke, I thought this was a pretty spiffy idea, and that I was for sure going to win some kind of super genius award. HA! No, the poor little innocent boy just about lost a leg on this endeavor! Nanny of the year, right here, people! Needless to say, we will be turning that seat around...

Oh! I will say, though, that even after a near amputation, he was still happy enough to hold his sister's hand in the car. Awwwwweeeee.....

After dropping off the oldest at her preschool, I decided a coffee was definitely in order. Good thing, too.

Here's the problem with toddlers....They don't stop. EVER. They touch everything. They eat everything. They yell about everything. They scream, bite, hit, kick, chew, and are basically dinosaurs trapped in tiny human bodies. However, during all of the chaos that was this morning, I must say, that I caught a rare moment of the littles getting along, and actually playing with the SAME toy!! Miracle worker? Heh, well.... if you say so.

Now, that we've covered the problem with toddlers, let's cover the (only) problem with newborns. They want to rest. All the time. Ever tried keeping a newborn calm and rested with 2 toddlers around? I have. Easy? NO! The poor little guy just can't get settled, because every time he opens his little crazy eyes, there's an even crazier set of eyes staring at him like he's flesh in a pool of ravenous piranhas. Then, when he cries, the toddlers cry. Do I cry at this point? I'm not sure if this is the way the cycle goes... Anyway, just to calm your curiosity, I did eventually get ALL of the children calm enough to allow happiness all around! YAY! ;)

Also, as I previously mentioned, the little girl in my care, might have a slight obsession with a little movie, known as Frozen. I'm pretty sure I should probably have my name officially changed to Anna, and she will henceforth be known only as Elsa. This is my life now. Non-stop imaginary play where I must follow the rules and instructions given to me from the Queen. Though, I can't say I mind replaying "Let it Go" over and over in my head! Let it GOOOOOOOOO! But, I know the rest of my mommy friends are most likely experiencing the same obsession, so I think it's pretty fun! Do you think they make the princess dresses in my size?! Also, where can I claim my pet reindeer?

I should also point out that I am not complaining. I love my job, and I adore the family that I get the distinct privilege to work with. I mean, how many other people get to give love and cuddles for a living? It may be stressful sometimes, but it makes for a good story! And what is life, if you can't remember the good times and laugh at the bad?! Not a life of mine, that's for sure!

P.S.- You wanna build a snowman?!