Laurie Berkner on stage

Saturday we packed up a picnic and headed to the suburbs to see Laurie Berkner at Ravinia.

Ravinia is famous for it’s summer concert series. Performers such as James Taylor, Seal and Diana Krall grace the stage. There are also a bunch of kids performers on the weekends.

We fit right into the suburb crowd. We pulled up in our large minivan and unloaded our strollers, cooler, and wagon. Every other car was a large car like ours and every other family was pulling their wagon out of the trunk too. It was like a scene from Edward Scissorhands.

I forgot how elaborate the picnics can get at Ravinia. I spent some time packing food. We also had chairs and a blanket. But when we got there we saw catered food, collapsable tables, skinny girl martinis. All for a one hour concert!

We also brought a soccer ball. There was a huge open space to play in, but when Adam brought the kids over there to play they told us it was too crowded for balls today. Another reason I am so happy we don’t live in the ‘burbs. In the city, no one would care. It certainly wouldn’t be staffed so much that someone had time to pick on a couple of kids playing soccer.

Still it was a beautiful day and the kids don’t need much more than a big open space to run in to make them happy. And some ice cream.

Next time I go to a kids concert I’ll remember to get there early. The park opens at 10am. The concert was from 11-12 and they closed the grounds at 1pm.

Picnic at Ravinia

I’m really settling into having an extra set of hands around (Auntie Doris) on top of my other set of extra hands (Kristen).

Surprising how quickly I relinquished control over my kids considering how closely I watched the first two. Perhaps it’s because with four kids it’s impossible to give them all the attention they want. Since the goal is unattainable, what difference does an extra hour or two make each day?

The first full day Auntie Doris was here I planned my usual “shower next two the older boys while they bathe” evening ritual. When Kristen started this was a luxury. Before her I didn’t shower for days. When the older kids bathed, I watched the younger ones. When summer started and Kristen was here I showered next to the boys while she watched the babies and was happily in my jammies by 6pm. But with Auntie Doris and Kristen around I actually showered BY MYSELF. Now that is a luxury.

It didn’t last long, the second day I found myself showering with both Jack and Ben. One by one they found me and decided to jump in too. But still, autonomy was out there. A little whiff of it made me think, what else can I do?

So this morning I asked Kristen to come a little early and I went to my first yoga class in over a year.

It was a odd feeling walking out of our house by myself with no bag full of diapers, wipes, extra formula, extra clothes, water bottles, snacks. I didn’t have to make two or three trips to the car to load each baby and the stuff and other kids. I listened to adult music in the car. I didn’t take the elevator for the stroller. And I did yoga. Sort of.

Boat Pose

The first time back after a year without yoga is a humbling experience. After all that work I spent years building I was back to where I started. I was unable to touch my toes when I bent over. And forget any abdominal exercises. My abs where like jelly in boat pose. I couldn’t keep in the pose for a single second – I was more like a sinking ship!

Still, it got me thinking what else I could do. Go for a quick run? Get those thank you cards that are way overdue out? Get a pedicure? NAP?! Mmm, the possibilities are endless.

Evening Feed

Auntie Doris with Aaron

My Aunt Doris arrived on Sunday to take her turn helping with the babies. In the past, whenever I’ve had a baby she’s come for a week. This time I bargained two weeks off her, claiming that I need more time since I have twins!

So far it’s been trial by fire. The first day we left her alone with the twins while Kristen and I went to a water park all day. I thought she’d be overwhelmed but after all the kids were in bed she offered to babysit so Adam and I could go out for a drink. So nice to pop out of the house and sit, face to face, across from your husband. We were only away about 1 hour and 1/2, too little time to hire a sitter but just enough time to catch up. If we were home we would not have sat down with a glass of wine and enjoyed each other’s company. Time is so precious, there are so many kids to deal with. Any free moment at home is a time to get some overdue task done or sleep.

Tummy Time for Aaron and Sam at the Pritzker Place Space

I’m not sure what my Aunt did while she watched them during the day but I woke up in agony around 2am. Okay, Jack woke me up, needed to go to the bathroom. Then he crawled into our bed. Both twins were still asleep so I laid there thinking they must wake up soon to relieve me. By 2:30 I got up and pumped. I couldn’t stand it anymore. The first twin didn’t wake until 3:45am! The next one 4:30! I hope she can get them to repeat the pattern tonight!

Jack and Kaden

Today we met up at the Children’s Museum with one of Jack’s buddies from school. Even with three people watching four kids, two who can’t walk, I still managed to lose Ben and Jack at times.

He's not my child!

We had a great time, especially Ben who decided at one point to lay down in the middle of the museum and stick his hands in his pants.

We saw our friend Mistie there. She has 3 girls the same ages as our kids. In fact we were on the same floor of the hospital at the same time for the birth of the twins/her daughter. She had a helper with her too. I must remember to tell Adam that no matter whether we had three or four kids, once you move past two kids you need more hands. I guess in that sense it’s a bargain that we had the last two at once!

Tuckered out after a Long Day

Someone once told me that when your kids are young, the days are long but the years are short.

I must say, this is a very true statement.

I can’t believe how much we can pack into one day, even with four kids. By the end of each day it seems that the morning was so long ago it might have been a different day.

Friday we managed to do so much! We dropped Adam at work, had a play date with Pam and Elissa across town, picked up Jack from camp, had everyone take a nap, swam at the pool for well over an hour, and had dinner at the club!

Dinner at the East Bank Club

Saturday Jack and I made muffins while Adam paid bills and cleaned up around the house, then we hit a park, went to lunch, napped all the kids, Adam sent me out in the afternoon shop and just spend some time without kids (yes, he actually suggested I go out shopping! Crazy man suggested I leave him alone with four kids and go out and spend his hard earned money!), then went to dinner at our friend Tami and Eddie’s house.

Soccer at the Park

Drinks and Dinner on Tami and Eddie's Deck

Still, when I look at Jack I feel like he was just born yesterday, yet he is already 5 years old. Makes me want to snuggle the twins as much as possible. My last babies! I must get as much cuddling out of them as possible before it’s too late!

On a tip from my friend Cynthia, we booked Jack at Lego Camp, put on by Green Apple Camps.

Airplane Jack Built with Motorized Blade

Her philosophy on summer this year was to tell her kids which camps were available and let them choose which ones to sign up for. I loved how she let the kids decide how to spend their summer. I am definitely going to do this for them next year.

A week before camp was suppose to start another friend, Becky, said the reviews of that camp were horrible, “just a bunch of kids sitting around a bucket of Legos.”

I was worried.

I need not concern myself, though because Jack loved it. The first day they built an entire airport with luggage cars and planes to go with it. One day was all about cars. Another day, trains. Jack was in heaven. Whole days devoted to transportation vehicles! He’s so obsessed with means of transport that when we clean the basement he insists on picking up only things with wheels.

Jack and his friend Benny on Train Day

Definitely something I would sign Jack again for next year…

In case you were all sitting on pins and needles about my day yesterday, yes, I’m still here and unscathed. The kids are all okay. Better, even. Another afternoon on my own and I’m patting myself on the back with pride at how easy it was.

Perhaps because being with 4 kids still scares me, my radar is up all afternoon and I’m constantly trying to be proactive. Therefore the afternoon went smoothly.

Adam arrived home at 7:41pm to find 3 out of 4 kids fed, bathed, and asleep. Sam was asleep in my arms and not quite in the crib yet. I even managed to have a hot dinner ready and waiting for Adam. I am supermom.

The afternoon passed without much incident. Jack played ‘SushiCat’ and watched videos on my phone. For a brief moment he wanted to know what we were doing that afternoon. When I told him we were staying put, there was no way to take everyone out by myself, he was okay with that. Ben futzed around with his books, moving toys from room to room and occasionally sitting with Jack at the computer watching video games.

I’m still waiting for the day they can play together in earnest, but for right now I’m just happy there wasn’t a bunch of tattling and throwing toys at each other which evokes crying and tantrums. Let’s put it this way, unlike some other afternoons, my voice was not sore from yelling.

There was one incident when I thought the older boys were watching TV and eating dinner while I was bathing one of the twins. Ben ran into the room and sprinkled the salt shaker on me. I grabbed it and found it completely empty. Shaken all over the entire house. Five minutes after the cleaning lady left. I ran the vacuum, but my feet are still walking into patches of salt every so often.

Last night was another solid night for the twins. But the older boys didn’t do so well. As a result it was musical beds for Adam and I last night.

Jack woke at 10pm and Adam went to his bed to put him back to sleep. At 2am I woke to Aaron’s cries. I noticed Adam was back in our bed. I fed Aaron, changed his diaper and put him back in the crib, staying on the couch dozing until Sam woke at 3am. I had him back in the crib by 3:30 and went back in my bed to find it empty again. Then I heard Ben talking and realized Adam must now be in his bed. Sam cried out at 4:30am and I ran to his bed, but had the sense to realize he ate an hour ago. I let him fuss for a minute or two, then he fell back to sleep and I went back to the couch until 5:30am when Aaron woke and needed feeding.

Still, we went to sleep at 9:30pm so I got one REM cycle in again. So not complaining this morning! Plus I feel very happy to know I was able to handle the kids on my own again. Each time I do it I get more confidence. We can’t do much without help and I wouldn’t want it to be like this every day, but on occasion if necessary, I can handle it!