We wish you a Merry Christmas

lessons from a 3 year old

Religion:
Coming home from school she told me about a boy who kept disobeying and pushed her. I asked if she pushed her sisters, "yes." Do you know what it is called MM? Sin. "Yeah, little kids sin, but adults don't." MM that's not true. You know when mom gets angry? I have to ask for forgiveness because it is sin. "Oh and when you take the computer from daddy, that is not showing patience or self control." -- I promptly redirected the conversation to trying to name all the fruit of the spirit before all my sin was discussed. Thanks MM!

Biology:
supposedly she asked Laura Bullock to explain just how MM got here... how did she get in the belly?

Geography:
a missionary from Africa came to her school today ... MM told us it doesn't snow there- Ms Liz went there but doesn't live there. And a bug bit Mrs. Cummings foot. She tells people about Jesus.

Theater:
As she was forcing Caroline into the baby doll crib, "get in there so you can be in the manger."

Family
while I was getting ready to go out last night..."I am going to get bigger and bigger and then we can like share shirts mommy."

Our house is always "educational" but just who is the teacher?

Glamour Shots...

So the Sawyers are not candidates for glamour shots...here are some recent attempts to make a Christmas card. We convinced cousin Annie to go with us to take the pictures... on the coldest day yet in Boston...highs in the 20s with the windchill in the teens. That is when most sane people decide it is a good day to go outside... here are some of the funnier of pics... and the best is we have proof of one of the girls falls...(notice the other 2 are unfazed)-- Target may have video of the other twin falling out of the shopping cart onto the floor one day that week, but it is amazing what people can create with technology these days...like I would turn my back on two 19 mo girls standing up in a cart to do some shopping. I guess we should be grateful it was carpet and not that "sawdust" at the basket (although you know they probably don't have a video there.. just gigantic blown up turkeys)...

there goes our hopes of making millions off of the next olsen twins...

Everything is bigger...

in TEXAS!
first of all, I need to apologize to the few faithful readers of chezsawyer as I have been absent from blogging. I think the insanity of my three has become more of the norm, so I my reality has been changed....
here are a few fun stories from our recent trip to dallas. Flying with 3 wasn't as bad as expected with the help of polish Liz, snacks and a dvd player.
Sarah:
our first stop on the trip was Charlotte. Sarah managed to make friends the whole time as we turned around and she was on top of a chair, talking to a lady while playing with her bracelet. strangers?? we embrace them, take their valuables, and blow kisses the whole time....
fortunately she did not break the beaded bracelet.
while waiting for a plane in Dallas, she went up to a man who was in shorts and grabbed his knee. I explained we lived in Boston and hadn't seen flesh in months, but seriously, a little embarrassing....
on Friday night we went to my favorite tex-mex place, Mi Coscina with my brother and family. Sarah is shown in the pictures with a spoon to shovel the queso (cheese dip)... after a bit, she just resorted to shoveling it into her mouth with her hand....looking like she took a bath in yellow slime...
vomit score: 2
Caroline
Truly her mother's daughter, never met a food she didn't like....she LOVED all the ice cream....and in true sawyer spirit, started fussing when her bowl of blue bell ice cream was finished....can you really blame her?
Caroline LOVED the swing outside and playing with all toys as long as she had control of the stroller.
She is the master of the slide -going down on her belly and showed No fear while entering a "jump house" with the big kids....
Her new best friend is Jake, not to be confused with Drake the dog, who read her books.
vomit score: can't part with my food
Mary Margaret
Can now recite the entire "King of Red" book. It rhymes, and after a few reads, she could finish the sentances. She sometimes is a little disturbing with the acuteness of her memory...
MM loved all of Texas, the food, time with cousins, and being outside. She played with Anne and managed to get into many water games all over the bed she was sleeping in...
One afternoon we were talking about the rug in the living room having squares. When asked how many, she replied, "so many." My brother asked her is she could count them, and she started, "uno, dos..." Thanks to Senorita Darrell (we call her Megan) and Dora. Yet again mom and dad can't take credit!
On our drive to the airport MM told her aunt Leslee that her dad's mom died. She then asked why nana hadn't come back from heaven? (tough question) I tried to explain that she was with Jesus now and would not be coming back. She then said, "you know, heaven is going to be a fun place."
As her cousin Anne was preparing for the SMU game on Saturday, she said..."go ponies." MM responded, "go Red Sox."
When telling her we had to leave to go back to Boston, MM stated, "texas is going to miss me."
vomit score: once when I was little, I did that, but now....

It was a great time, and now we are back home.

New Highchairs

Now everyone can watch Dora together..."come on vamanos,,"

Just because Bob has no boys....

...does not mean we don't use shaving cream!!! it was a project to cover animals and cars in the shaving cream, but everyone liked painting themselves better. we are happy to loan Sarah out for any upcoming parties where face painting is needed.

walking the doggies...

Today was MM's first day of preschool, so the whole team decided to take the T into Park Street Kids. After dropping her off and stopping at a parents breakfast, it was just me and the twins. I decided to let them run wild in the grassy part of the Boston Common. Caroline found a lighter and put it in her mouth...and then the dogs appeared. My girls got very excited and started running up to the different sets of dogs and owners.

Our pastor always talks about people he meets while walking his dog Amos. I always smile politely as he tells stories about these tales, and I am thankful that I am not scooping up poop.

As we started talking to these owners and a lady who joined in the fun because she "missed her dogs in Va" and took a job at a dog store in the south end because she missed them so much. All of a sudden, I realized that for a few moments, I was a part of this "dog" group. I was "walking my own doggies" and fit right in with them. Funny, no other kids were around, but Sarah and Caroline had a great time with their new friends.

maybe we should try out dog parks in the future? do you think they might need counseling one day? (don't answer that honestly, okay?)

Colors or De Colores...

So this morning MM had a naked barbie doll in her hands (a little disturbing) and proclaimed that we needed to sing about God's big love. Then she started saying "black and white are precious in His sight".

I have not taught MM Jesus loves the Little Children. Having God's creation of the human race boxed into a color of the rainbow- well, we live in Boston and may not be the best for her safety-nor do people look those colors...

MM wanted to sing Jesus loves the little Children, so we did. She knew all the words. Afterward, she states, "Mom you forgot blue."

There you go...maybe I don't need to worry. She already wants to include all the colors-

Bandaids and Such...

So a few weeks ago, the ladies and I went to the park with Leah and Asher. After arriving I stared putting the twins' shoes on. Caroline was being really fussy about it. After a bit, I realized they had rubbed a blister off on her foot and it started bleeding. Knowing what would follow from other parents, I asked Leah if she had a bandaid. No, she did not. Not 5 minutes later, a mom informed me that my daughter was bleeding. Did I know? The disgust. Sometimes I think my team is just too stressful for others. Of course upon returning home, I tried the bandaid, and not even one minute later, off it went.

Maybe I should have a number for people to call if they see any problems.....just like the trucks!

theology 101

After putting her money in the collection plate, Bob asked Mary Margaret why we put money in the collection plate. Her response (Lauren can testify to this happening) "to pay for our sins." WHAT? Needless to say, elder Bob got to work explaining how only Jesus pays for our sins.

Who stood up for her baptism again? We need your help!!!

Substance Abuse?

We are coffee drinkers at the Sawyer house. Bob preps the coffee the night before and we awake to a pot of caffeine. This morning I was ready for my second cup, so I started looking for my coffee mug. I never really get through the first cup before it gets cold (see previous post), so I start a second cup. Someone found my coffee. It was no longer hot, but somehow it was finished. Hopefully all was on the onsie and not consumed- all Sarah Sawyer needs is caffeine!
If you were worried- the coffee mug was not broken and was laying on the floor empty in the playroom. Kids always amaze me.

and yes, I did get that second cup!

Before 7AM

Do I need help?

So mom is a little concerned with the latest trick dad has taught me....I am not sure why? it seems less harmful than the previous one of "bump heads." not like I am aiming to be proper and all. I mean look at me.

Well, here it is....if someone burps, I burp (grunt like noise) back. It always brings laughter, so how can it be wrong? it's not my fault that a person burps. they are the ones being rude... I am just pointing it out...

Ready for a new trick-
Liney

When it rains...we play

Frustration...

Mary Margaret loves the water, so I thought swim lessons at the local YMCA would be a great idea. I arrived early to ensure MM could be in the class at a time convenient for us. Today is the first class and I realized, "I wonder if it is handicap accessible?" How do I get all 3 girls to the swimming pool? Meda offered to watch today, but I have 8 weeks of this class 2x a week. I called the Y, no it is not handicap accessible. Can someone help me take a baby down the many flights of stairs? Well, probably not and they don't want to be liable should something happen. 2 BABIES I tell you. I always find myself frustrated when I end up in these situations as a little voice tells me, "if you only had one, this would not be an issue." But yet again I am at the mercy of others. The Russels have the same time for lessons, so in the future she might help.

Who wouldn't want to help carry one of these girls down the stairs? This picture is a recent early Saturday morning photo of the sawyer ladies with bad bed hair. I am grateful for the girls and think the Y is missing out....

You can not top this..nor should you want to

so today while the ladies were napping, liney pooped. she decided that she would take the poop out of her diaper and smear it all over the crib. some was even on the outside of her mouth. mac barnes found her in this state, ran upstairs and informed us, "caroline is playing with her poop." if that is not enough...the plot thickens...I first cleaned caroline off, then threw both babies in the tub while Lousia watched...while cleaning the crib, I found poop on the floor then someone pooped in the bathtub.
piles of poop everywhere with babies in the water too. all babies out, bathtub cleaned, back in to the tub where the cleaning of the twins began again. Crib is now clean, laundry in the wash, all ladies are clean. I thought to myself, "I should have looked for the birdseed." Ya'll, literally, how does this continue to happen to me? am I a fit mom? drinking a shiner bock and laughing...

1-800-222-1222

Just thought you might like the number for Poison Control. This morning I thought if all 3 were in the playroom, I could maybe put on a little makeup. They seemed rather quiet, but I thought they were having fun all 3 playing together. As I entered, I realized Mary Margaret was feeding the babies the bird seed from her Children's Church project. I have no idea how much they consumed, and somehow, big sister ate none. After consultation with Meda, I decided to call poison control. Is bird feed dangerous? I have no idea where it was from, and it was a mixture of all different kinds. How do I explain to them that my almost 3 year old fed her 15 mo twin sisters bird seed. I am really in control of all that goes on here...
To put you all at ease, bird seed is nontoxic.

Never a dull moment!

I will survive...

So, yes I am the pacemaker child but I will survive. Big sis received a new princess wand for her birthday and I gave Sarah a beating with it. Today, I decided to pull up on Sarah and COMPLETELY wiped her out...she busted it...falling backwards and hitting her head on the hardwood floor.. she kept crying and required tylenol. why is she such a wimp?
Mom and Dad think I am going to be the sneaky one, but I am hoping to play up the whole "injured" one, so I can take charge....watch out Sarah, your days are numbered...Big Sis, you are next!

Fast Food Nation vs. Red Sox Nation

For those of you who aren't local bostonians, there are no fast food places close to our house. So our encounters have been rather few and really just on car trips. On our most recent car trip (we have taken 4 the last few months all over 12 hours each way) MM informed us that she was hungry. She said she wanted to go to, "Old McDonalds."

A few weeks ago, MM and I were on our weekly trip to Market Basket for groceries. She looked up and saw a big poster of Red Sox's player #34 and says, "look mom, it's Big Papi."

Our daughter knows who Big Papi is but can't say the name of McDonalds. Classic!

a week at the beach...

highlights from our recent trip...
1. Caroline loved to eat the sand and tried to consume as much beach water as possible thus as bob told his family is why she had the sh...s 8 times a day
2. Sarah loves dogs. she would shrill in delight and chase all dogs down the beach to pet them. (as caroline went the other direction)
3. MM broke her cousin Jordan's fan (the kind you hold). She was found with it in her hand with two other cousins nearby. when asked if she was the one who broke it she replied, "the babies did it." of course at this point all babies were in pack n plays a floor above the crime scene. not a plausible scheme.
4. MM informed her aunt robin to not go near the room the babies were napping in or she might get a spank if they woke up
5. Evidently the Sawyer clan comes with their own oddities. not really making a salad, but cutting all the items up so one can assemble on their own. and.... the women of the family have twitches. many funny stories came from that. you will have to ask bob about the story from their time in queens.

we survived. after 16 hours in the car straight back, I think I need another "vacation"

urinal

on our way back from the outer banks, we stopped at a fruit stand for MM to go potty. she and I went into the all gender/handicap bathroom where we faced our first urinal. "what's that mommy?" that is where boys can go potty. "can I go there?" no honey we have different privates. God gave girls one privates and boys others... (why have we chosen these words?) so after a few more questions, for some reason I felt compelled to demonstrate how a boy would go potty at the urinal..explaining that is where daddy goes etc.
what was I thinking?
have I totally messed my child up? well, two more shots to explain the urinal. maybe I should take notes.