I was not expecting that!

(One of my favorite quotes from Emily, upon slipping off of a stepstool.)

Travis was in Singapore last week, and more than 10 days after he returned, I think we might finally, finally be getting back to normal.  I really didn't think it would knock me out the way it did.  I thought for sure I could meet the needs of my own three children for a couple of days, but I really struggled.  I had some help, both planned and unexpected, but next time, I will definitely ask for more!  Wow.  Not only was it stressful, it was hard on my little ego to feel like such a failure.  They were all alive and fed when Travis got home, and I managed to avoid any ER visits or major appliance failures.  Other than that, we were a sorry crew when he walked in the door Friday night!

More than anyone else, Audrey really put me through it.  For example, she ate half a jar of raspberry jam one night, after dinner.  I sat down to nurse Clara, and thought the other two were just playing like usual, but when I saw the empty jar in the refrigerator the next morning I realized why there was also jam on the carpet.  One day, while I showered, she drew on the wall with colored pencils IN the crack of the corner - how do I clean that, really?!  She managed to also eat a tube of her (fluoride-free) toothpaste while she was home with the nanny, so it's not just me that she's testing.  I think she's ready to give up her naps, because she's only had one nap in the last 3 days, and it meant that she was up past 9 PM tonight.  On the flip side, she is able to pick out the letters of her name, like out of an alphabet puzzle, and put them together in order to make her name.  She can also sing Baby Beluga like it's nobody's business!  She is a lot to keep up with.

My sister has recommended a book to me to read about raising gifted children.  She said she just kept thinking of Audrey over and over as she read it.  I am glad that I have a built-in fallback in having Emily around to challenge Audrey in ways that I can't, but I'm sure that doesn't satisfy everything she needs.  I've been careful not to push Emily too much academically at home, because as the oldest child, she's probably experiencing a tremendous amount of expectations from me than I don't intend to place on her. :(  I want her to enjoy school (she LOVES preschool!) and realize that it's not just a fun place to be, but that she is supposed to be learning there; teachers are supposed to pay attention to her and meet her needs.  If that isn't happening, I want to be a part of things right away and make sure she's getting a good experience.  I think that Johnston has a very good parents of ELP program that I would like to get involved in, if it doesn't seem to presumptuous.  At this rate, I think it's probably okay to attend a meeting now and then!

Clara is on the verge of discovering her hands, and she is delighted to be able to grab a toy and bring it to her mouth.  I'm not sure she knows that she's in control when that happens, but she's enjoying it nonetheless!  She learned to buzz her lips today, like a little burbley trumpet player (yeah, yeah!).  I got a video, which I'll try to share but we'll see how it goes, uploading it.  We discovered that she absolutely knows that the sound of the garage door opening means that Mom is home, and that she will not take a bottle after 3:30 PM because Mom is supposed to be home by then! 

We had a lot of fun as a family this weekend, going to a pumpkin patch / orchard on Friday and then watching the Cyclones win on Saturday, over at a friend's house with at least 10 other kids there.  Now we get ready for birthdays and Halloween and a trip to Minneapolis!  It's going to be a crazy month, and when I get a chance to stop and look around again, I'll have a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old!  How is that possible?!