This week Jack is in school but Ben doesn’t start until next week. However, my fall schedule has kicked in. This means I will only have a helper when I have all four kids to care for after school. In the mornings I’m on my own.

I planned to lay low all week and not do much before help arrived. What could I possibly accomplish with three kids under 3?

But yesterday I realized we were not going to make it through the week without more wipes, diapers or formula. So, I took a leap of faith and did this…

This picture was taken by my friend Pam, who I ran into by chance. She has three kids but only had one with her this morning. Ironically when I saw her she was completely frazzled. The school had just called because she didn’t leave a change of clothes for her kid and he had an accident. The other child who was with her just had a big poop and needed changing. She came in for some umbrellas for the kids and left $168 lighter with no umbrellas to speak of. She should probably start her own blog, she’s got a great sense of humor and these things seem to happen to her daily.

After target we made it over to Costco. This time I had one car seat in the cart, Ben up front sitting in the cart, and a twin strapped to my chest.

Somehow it all worked out. Seven trips back and forth to the car later we were in the house and ready for lunch. I was very proud of myself, but I also realized it was sheer luck they all behaved.

Other super mom feats I accomplished this morning – making a peanut butter sandwich one handed while holding a baby in the other and breast feeding standing up while holding a baby in one arm and patting another one on his back to sooth him to sleep.

This morning Jack started Kindergarten.

Luckily we’ve both been trained by two years of preschool. I knew the drill. I packed his lunch, I handed him his clothes, I kissed him goodbye. He and Adam walked out the door together. No tears for anyone.

It will be a totally different experience for him today, but for me it was just another year.

Jack expressed some nervousness about his new school. He was worried about the ‘big kids’. I felt bad for him and wished I could be with him to hold his hand and fend off these invisible ‘big kids’. When further probed, he was actually talking about 6 year olds. Ironically he’s bigger than most 6 year olds we’ve met!

As for me, anytime I’m down a kid things seem easier. In reality they are still difficult. I don’t have a stroller to fit all these kids so we are stuck at home. Running an errand would be impossible. There are more kids than can reasonably fit in a cart.

This morning both babies were tired for their nap at the same time so I had to take turns nursing and letting them cry while Ben sat outside the nursery door in his underwear, kicking the door for my attention. I was sweating by the end of it.

But there was victories as well. Ben pooped in the potty without me having to remind or push him. I just walked by and saw him sitting on the potty all by himself. It was amazing. This week while Jack is at school I’m working on getting him to pull his own pants down to pee. He may just make it to school after all! (His first day is next week)

“What are the odds our kids have two foot injuries in one weekend?” Adam asked me as we were all driving over to the emergency room this Labor Day afternoon.

I don’t know. What are the odds we would have twins? What are the odds that a girl who lives in China ends up meeting her future husband, who lives in Chicago, at a wedding in Jamaica? Maybe we do have a chance at winning the lottery after all, I thought. I’d almost given up.

Yesterday Ben fell off a chair and hurt his foot. He has been walking on the outside of his right foot since then. He didn’t cry much and was very cheerful, completely undisturbed by this new limp he’d developed.

We wondered if perhaps he’d broken his toe? He didn’t seem bothered enough, though.

“It’s Ben!” Adam and I exclaimed, as we often do when this cheerful, good natured boy takes something in stride.

Jack pulled opened his costume drawer this morning so hard that it fell all the way out and landed on his foot. The base of his big toe nail started turning purple. Unlike Ben, he cried a lot and expected to be carried all day.

After a lot of ice and heavy lifting, Adam decided to bring them both in, just in case.

The doctor determined that Ben’s cheery attitude signified that his foot and toe were fine.

They did an ex-ray on Jack. No damage either. Thank goodness.

Next month Adam will be kicking himself that we switched to the high deductible insurance now that we are finished with the baby making years.

More Labor Day Entertainment – Jack builds Ben a ‘fort’ in our bed.

I’ve heard from older parents that when your kids get close to leaving home for college, you are as ready for them to leave as they are. Seems like the anticipation of change brings discontent for the current situation.

I guess this is also so with other changes in life. Perhaps that is why, after we finished our last beach day of the summer, something we looked forward too all week, we were all ready for it to end.

On the few days I didn’t organize a play date for Jack in the last month, he said he was bored and asked when school was starting.

Angus, Tim and Jack

I know I’m salivated at the thought of a regular schedule. At the chance of going to the gym and working out a bit. Of being able to go to the grocery store without having to hire help to do it (and still take a few kids with me!).

The only thing I’m nervous about it how long I’ll be away from Ben. I’m already used to the separation between Jack and I, Jack’s been in school for two years. But Ben? Beside a few trips to the gym day care and time spent with his father, he’s never been separated from me. All of a sudden we’ll be apart 5 days a week for 8 hours a day. I can’t believe I won’t have his incessant babbling in my ear all day anymore. Or see his smiling face all day long.

Ben eating a sand “ice cream” cone. Maybe next year he won’t eat fistfuls of sand every time we go to the beach?

Luckily I have the twins to distract me for the time being. I can’t stand to think of what it will feel like to have them go to school.

Sam and Aaron have started to play with toys!

My friend Jenny, who lives in the West Loop, invited me over to her hood to play this afternoon.

We checked out Skinner Park. I was amazed how cool it was, and once again it made me wonder why I don’t spend more time being adventurous in checking out all the parks the city has to offer.

It has a three pronged water sprayer, soft surface, lots of green area around the playground to run in, sandbox, swings, a couple of play structures, and some other interesting features like the Dragon below.

Half my Kids Sleep Through the Park Visit

Unfortunately Ben completely missed it. Perhaps one reason we don’t check out other parks outside of our neighborhood, especially in the afternoon, is that you risk one kid or another falling asleep before you get there.

Ben passed out 10 minutes before we arrived. Of course we didn’t pack his umbrella stroller. So I carried his heavy, 30 pound body into the park. Kristen laid a blanket down and I put him on it. He slept until I picked him up to leave.

Today I learned that afternoon play dates, now that I have 4 kids, are very difficult to do. The twins have started a night time ritual that starts around 5. We rushed through it tonight and by 7pm I was bathing Ben, showering Jack and still holding Aaron. I still hadn’t managed to bath Aaron, eat dinner, cook as healthy as I’d like for the kids, unpack our things or start the laundry.

Luckily just as Kristen was packing up to go, Adam walked in. I was able to pass Aaron off to him for his bath and jump in the shower with Jack to clean myself as well.

But it was definitely worth the drive to see this great new park. Maybe next time I’ll do it in the morning…

Dragon made out of shapes of Fruits and Vegetables

Double fisted

After three and a half weeks of Calisoff style abuse, we released Grandpa Devensky.

I’ve gotten entirely too used to having an extra set of hands with me at all times and when I realized it was all over, a state of exhaustion overtook me.

I was very sorry to see Dad go, but at the same time I was glad he was getting a reprieve. Out of all the guests that have come to help us since the twins have been born, I think he found it the most difficult.

I don’t think it helped that, after the kids went to bed, he often worked late into the night trying to catch up with his real job.

The babies left his back in pain by the end of every day.

Jack AKA Johnny Blake Ironman Defeats Grandpa

The older kids took turns punching, talking back and leaving fresh poop on the carpet for him to clean up. He found them completely undisciplined. I hope he lives long enough to see them grow up and become great people. Which would require them to actually grow up and become great people. At this point I’m not betting on it as a sure thing.

Bathing Aaron while Ben Poops Nearby and Jack overcrowded the Bathroom. Hardly Ideal Working Conditions…

Yesterday we had the most unusual date yet.

We hired the babysitter for the afternoon to help my father with the four kids and we checked into a hotel room.

Dad is leaving this week and before he goes I wanted at least one afternoon of uninterrupted sleep. Sleep that didn’t have an alarm clock or a crying kid on the other side of it.

At check in the woman wanted to know if we were checking in for anything special.

“Sleep.” We replied in unison.

Adam requested and we luckily got a top floor, corner room. It was so quiet. All you could hear was the pitter patter of rain on the window. A perfect sleep day.

“How long do you think we’ll sleep?” I asked Adam.

“Three or four hours?” Adam guessed.

We closed the blinds and got into bed. I was so excited for a long nap that I laid there unable to sleep.

But soon three months of no REM sleep eventually overtook me. I was unconscious 5 minutes later.

I woke up only 1 and 1/2 hours later. Adam was already awake. Kind of disappointing, really. Was that all I needed to catch up?

Even though we were separated from the kids, the tethers of our daily life still lingered. By 5:20 I was hungry for dinner. I’m sure the kids were eating at home too. I smiled at the fact that I would not have to nag them to sit while they were eating, finish their dinner, or chase them around the house with wipes before they smeared their greasy hands on our walls.

We ordered room service. I knew there were great restaurants around the corner, but I relished sitting around in the hotel robe and having the food wheeled right to me, trough style.

After dinner Adam suggested another nap. Could we nap twice in one day? I guess if you eat enough room service you can easily fall into a food coma. Another two hours of sleep!

We checked out the same day we checked in. The woman at check out wisely didn’t comment on it.

In the taxi we learned we slept through a storm so big that it closed Lakeshore Drive from Michigan Ave to North Ave.

We arrived home to find a quiet house. All our kid were asleep. Perfect timing. We got into our bed and fell asleep again instantly.

Sorry readers, no photos for this blog!

I know I’ve written about it before, but seriously, it is the best block party in the city! Susie Linker, you rock! Susie organizes this every year, she makes it seem effortless. She never complains or explains. But every year there is an amazing, fun fill party for all ages on our street.

Jack was at the window watching the preparations for an hour before I finally let him out. Like a horse in at the post, ready to race, he and Ben bolted out the door. The cotton candy machine was on and there was no line. We hit it. Twice…

There was also a bouncy house which Jack and Ben played in. They were so happy and excited that there wasn’t even the usual crying and tattling that accompanies all the wrestling, falling on top of each other, and noogies I witnessed…

The twins enjoyed a nap while the band played…

There was loads of free entertainment as well. Like our friend Mistie who tickle tortured all the kids into a giggling frenzy…

And Adam. I find whenever he pulls out his twin carrier it’s completely entertaining to watch everyone’s reaction…

There was a magician…

Balloon “art”…

And the ice cream truck came by bearing free ice cream for all…

Jack even got his face painted later in the evening…

Amazing party. Can’t wait until next year to do it all again!