One Gene Pool

Catherine Elizabeth Schei (left) at 22 months.

William McCormick (above) at about 24 months with Catherine Elizabeth and Benjamin Berges.


William McCormick (left) at 3 months.

Benjamin Berges (below) at 3 months.


And can you figure out who THIS is (right)? Yes, Catherine Elizabeth at 3 months.

Ponderings as of late

Why is it that I have a resistance towards destinations such as The Great Wolf Lodge and would much rather take my family camping for a weekend?

Why is it that what is most exhausting to me isn't the 5 errands I ran with all 3 kids today but the cumulative 10 minutes I spent over the course of the day waiting for my son to focus and pay attention to what I was asking him to do?

Why is it that when my husband challenges me to do something it is all the more enticing than when he doesn't? And no, don't misunderstand me, this is not an emotional or spiritual challenge but more the likes of two children making bets on who can hold their breath the longest. I'll let you know how I do 29 days from now.

Why is it that salad tastes better when someone else makes it?

Why is it that I walk around my house looking for things to pick up or clean and then get frustrated that there's always something for me to do? I need to stop looking for goodness' sake.

Why is it that I can't stop surfing craigslist even when I don't need anything?

Why is it that William is so much harder to get the attention of than Katie? He is constantly needing discipline and redirection in order to accomplish even the smallest of tasks.

Why is it that the things I'm doing right now are the things my children will one day look back on, critique, and change when deciding how to raise their own children? I would like a heads up! Its amazing what I could learn if I now knew what I will know then.

And by the way, when its this hot and I'm sweating profusely inside my house I always remember Ashley Judd in "A Time to Kill". Just a random thought in hopes that there might be more people like me out there. Oh yeah... and when I hear a certain song from the Fightclub soundtrack I always picture myself driving a Shelby GT as if in a movie.

Enough about me. What are your thoughts?

Willis D. Tucker Meltdown

We arrived just as I was thinking to myself, "maybe I shouldn't do this"... but I spent only moments thinking that way when I was suddenly embraced by the warm sunshine. I had by this time opened the van door and dropped one leg out as the sun and all its warmth spilled in.

It was beautiful. But it was 11:30am and I knew that the kids needed food and they then would need sleep. I was riding on high hopes that the activity of the park would keep them alert and pleasant enough that we just might stay for longer than 45 minutes. We did -- but not alert and not pleasant. I know better than this.

It began with a semi-sleepy William climbing out of the van not sure of which way was up. But he was still awake! There was hope! Katie was beginning to smile less and drift into a starry state where she observes with little desire to interact. As you can see, I was fully aware of the children but still I continued to unlock the stroller, release the kids from their car seats and gather miscellaneous items. Benjamin had already started fussing a little and I was getting all the more nervous.

Rabbit trail:
See, for those Moms out there that have been more than encouraging with regards to my parenting skills and my "ability to cope" it all has to do with timing. I WILL NOT take my kids to the mall, or anywhere for that matter, if its past 12Noon until after they have napped. That's ridiculous. I would be in a constant state of chaos if I didn't run my life by my children's nap schedules. My expectations of them and their behavior are exceptionally high when they're NOT TIRED. The minute we hit the tired state I expect very little of them because it is MY job to get them home and in bed.

Done with the rabbit trail, thank you for listening.

So there we were, making our way into the swarms of Moms, Dads and kids. I told the kids that our first priority was to eat and then they would be allowed to play. They did. And they did it without argument. A simple "ok Mom" is what I expect them to say, and they did! We were doing good so far. A half-sandwich and a couple Oreos later, the kids began exclaiming what they'd like to do. By this time Ben was lathered in sunscreen and staring at his glistening feet as he sat in his infant car seat being pelted by the sunshine... he loved it. Things were definitely looking up.

We met up with some friends... talked a little... hung out under the sun-shade... rode the merry-go-round... and as it approached 12:30pm I noticed signs of melt-down. I rode the wave a little while longer until I was paddling a little too hard to keep up. My expectations of how a day should go with my kids are quite high -- a swift "discipline on the bottom" follows ANY disobedience and a pleasant, polite, and respectful attitude should be had towards all. Understand this behavior doesn't naturally 'ooze' from a child but is completely within the realm of possibility and I believe should be of greater focus for more parents!

I began calling William over and over again before he looked at me and responded... I don't do well when there's a lack of attention to me and my demands. Katie was beginning to get a little emotional with a side of psychotic (dancing around and squeezing Harper's or Benjamin's cheeks
whilst crying about being thirsty). All said I began to gather the chicks quickly. But once the fire starts its amazing how quickly it spreads... Ben began crying, William stopped listening, Katie's feelings got hurt by someone and she couldn't think straight enough to not melt down in a heap, they needed hugs and kisses from EVERYONE before they left, Ben was hungry and wet and tired, the dumb stroller was not efficiently packed with enough room to house all my children so some walked, some were carried and some (William) decided that he had had enough and sat strategically down in the middle of the path back to the parking lot screaming and pouting. Katie, recognizing that I was part way to psychosis, stared at me in bewilderment and fear as I walked away from my screaming son towards the car. I tried to reassure her with a smile that I would NEVER leave him although I had to meditate on that thought in order to remember not to leave him. I was running for cover mentally. Bombs were dropping all around me and all I could see was the bunker in the distance - my '01 Honda Odyssey. Once in the car with kids strapped in I was practically home-free. Wild animals were caged and I could think straight.

THIS is how I'm able to get through a day with three kids. I adjust my clock to theirs' and adjust their clocks to mine. They are up at 6:30am and I adjust to that... but they are in bed no later than 7:30pm and that is necessary 99% of the time and I've adjusted their clocks accordingly. Nap time is at 12:30 or 1:00pm and I adjust my clock... no shopping, no visiting (unless its at my house), no school, etc. because I know my children would not live up to my expectations of behavior if I didn't allow them that downtime at that particular time of the day.

Rabbit trail:
I'm nervous because now I have a third and he's only 12 weeks old but already becoming regular in his nap schedule. Either one nap between 8:30a and 11:30a or two naps during that time... one nap at the same time that Katie and William take theirs' at 1:00pm and than another one before bedtime! How am I supposed to keep up with all the activities that my 2 and 3 year old want to do when I have a child who takes 2-3 naps a day?! Answer: 1) cope with a child who is not able to live up to my expectations of behavior and allow my 2 and 3 year old the activities available to them or 2) accept the fact that I cannot allow your 2 and 3 year old to be involved in activities that impede on the younger one's nap times. Both can be argued for! But I need to keep my expectations realistic. I sure hope I choose the latter because I think there will be far less consequences in the future to deal with and a greater understanding of selflessness in my children. Does that make sense?

Done with the rabbit trail, thank you for listening.

We got in the car. William and Benjamin fell asleep. Katie was almost comatose. William transferred willingly and without a hitch as did Katie. Benjamin was fed and laid down and he is still asleep at 2:45pm. The older kids just woke up and now I am going to go out and lounge on the couch with them to watch The Bee Movie. I've decided I've done enough today and now its time to be lazy and lounge. Dinner will be in a few hours and then we'll get ready for bed... probably all of us.

Have high expectations of your kids at the right times.

We love surprises!

Here is some afternoon humor with a couple of our favorite people....
Enjoy!



Thanks for stopping by.

Jesseca Lauper

She's gonna kill me for this... but its what makes a true friend a true friend... thanks for stopping by, friend. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

Thrill Hawk

I met a bit of resistance yesterday when I sent out pictures of William and his 'new do'. Kyle gave him a mo hawk the other night in lieu of shaving it all off and I LOVED it. In addition to running my usual errands during the morning yesterday I also stopped off at Sally's Beauty Supplies in Everett and purchased bright blue "Hair Cement". Boy did I have fun with that...

Anyways, this morning when I awoke (after pleasantly sleeping in until 7:15am - thank you fantastic husband!) I smiled to myself upon seeing William's 'new do/bedhead do'. He smiled like any little 'boy next door' would smile and it was nice to know that my little gentleman was not about to be led astray by some punk rocker hair do. In fact, he proceeded to sit on the living room chair, ducky in arms, and "feed his baby". I quickly grabbed the camera. He then attempted to place his baby on the potty seat and help it push its "pee-pee" down as he spoke gently and reassuringly to it.
Adorable.

An ounce of energy buys you lots.

I decided that I was getting exhausted because the kids "needed" me all the time... "mom 'this'" and "mom 'that'"... I was going nuts. I found myself rolling my eyes at my daughter the other day and I got socked in the gut BY THE LORD. And it was a hard 'sock in the gut'.

You know the saying, "if your husband's praising himself too much its because you don't praise him enough"? Well, same goes for kids. If you don't give them the attention they need they'll demand attention from you just to prove a point - without them realizing it. And before you drive yourself nuts... just remember... IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU!

You didn't have kids to fulfill your own selfish interests... if so, you're in for real disappointment. NOT because kids don't give you 'joy you've never imagined'! But because kids give you 'joy you've never imagined' in ways that you've never imagined! Its not by giving you the sleep you need or by giving you "alone time" when alone time is much deserved/needed or by being obedient when it would be really great for them to be obedient. No. None of that is sure enough to bet on. So, for better results, expect great moments with your kids. Expect to be exhausted and exhilarated all in a moment.

Today, we made "No Bake Cookies". See recipe below:


No Bake Cookies (allrecipes.com - no bake cookies I)

• 1 3/4 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let cool until hardened.

I needed to find a solution for my "high maintenance children" and I realized that if I took 1 hour and overwhelmed them with attention and praise then they would be satisfied! So much so that they let me blog while they played with their "Colorforms" (that we just received in the mail yesterday! See previous blog about Colorforms.)

So here I am... blogging.

Hey you.

Do you ever realize that you haven't said "hi" to yourself yet and its already 12noon?! Most days I've gotten a peek of myself, if not had a conversation with myself, by 12 noon... but not today. Today I've dealt with the remnants of last night's dinner and sick-child laundry. Today I've walked 41 flights of stairs to the rhythm of my kids' voices. They needed help from pouring milk to pulling down underwear... from wiping hands to turning on a movie... from tracking down favorite pajamas to tracking down the Lincoln Log directions. Today I've swaddled a baby at least 10 times in hopes of him being overcome by the soothing organic fabric sending him into dreamland. Today I've done dishes, wiped counter tops, served 4 meals to 2 children - staggered, folded 3 loads of laundry, nursed 4 times and laid 3 children to rest.

I've said hi to myself once.

The "Grocery Game" dot com...

For those of you that I haven't spoken to within the last 6 hours, I would like to say, "THE GROCERY GAME IS AMAZING!" If you visit the website, www.grocerygame.com, and choose to spend an hour or so reading through the rules of the game than you will be interested, in the least. But if you take the leap and pay $1 for the 4 week trial than you will most definitely be AMAZED. The results, for me, were unbelievable - 113% savings at Albertsons and about a 94% savings at Safeway! Check it out for yourself when you have a moment.

Summary of The Grocery Game strategy: STOP buying on a "need" basis and begin stockpiling. Create your own "store at home" and buy only when the item is at rock-bottom price. Grocery stores tend to run on a 12-week cycle where pork, for example, is on sale for a week than off sale for the next 12 weeks! Buy as much pork as you would need for 12 weeks when the sale is on then you're not forced to buy the pork at a premium! You'll save so much money buying ALL your groceries (including paper goods and hygiene items) this way.

This is what it takes:

1. Keep all grocery store ads during the week - have a specific place you keep them.
2. Retrieve the Sunday edition (I simply purchased the The Herald at the Mill Creek Albertsons for$ 1.50 this last Sunday but am in the process of subscribing to the Sunday paper for $12.47/3 months)
3. Cut ALL "manufacturers" coupons and store coupons that are appropriate for your family. Don't try to calculate savings at that point, "Teri's List" (you'll understand later) will do it all for you! Just go ahead and cut WHATEVER products are valuable to you. Set them aside. The "cutting" process was accomplished while I sat in front of the TV on Sunday morning with Kyle and the kids... super easy and didn't take more than 15 minutes.
4. Go onto grocerygame.com at 12N or later on Sunday (that's when the official "Teri's List" is posted for that week). Check off products that are ones you use in your house.
5. Print the list so that you can take it with you shopping (it gives you all the coupon details which I found to be VERY helpful as I shopped.)
6. Grab the corresponding coupons to the items you checked from the list and go shopping prior to midnight on Tuesday (when all the sales are reset for the next 7 days)!
***Krista Tip: Do NOT take kids the first time shopping with the list. You'll want to understand and get familiar with what you're doing and I guarantee you'll miss out if you aren't completely focused. After that, its easy. Plus, you'll "trust the list" so kids won't be an issue.***

If you're interested, check it out. I got $209.00 worth of groceries for $93.00 at Albertsons... and I got about $102.00 worth of groceries for $53.00 at Safeway! I cannot tell you how nice it is to know that I can shop at grocery stores that I enjoy (and trust the quality of) whilst saving loads of money!

... then I went and filled the gas tank.

The "Berges" name...

For years as a kid my family traveled throughout the Great Northwest for weekend getaways or "mini vacations" and we always seemed to run into someone who knew the Berges family, or "knew of" the Berges family, from Kennewick, Washington. It wasn't rare that we'd be walking down a trail near Mt. Rainier National Park or perhaps visiting a small coffee shop in Sandpoint, Idaho, when you'd hear "Dr. Berges!". My Dad would stop (with a shocked look on his face - which ALWAYS surprised me) in an effort to find the person who obviously recognized him. When he met the person's gaze it was followed by a surprised laugh and "the point". He'd then, miraculously, recall their name, follow it with a firm handshake and that would lead into small talk and family introductions.

THIS is the family I've been a part of my whole life... all 29 years of it. I'm now a "Schei" which seems to carry the same weight all the way from California to Washington. I can't say that there's ever been a time when I think to myself, "oh God forbid! HOW do you know who I am?!" It is more likely to be, "oh thank God! I'm so glad I got out of this mess unscathed because you knew my Dad! What a small world!"

Sick. I know. I'm about to make you vomit.

Whilst traveling the Great Northwest for the first time with my THREE children all by myself I was spared once again by the dear Lord Himself, I'm sure of it. Traveling 82mph in a 70mph zone on I-82 just outside of Benton City (see picture above) I caught a glimpse of the State Patrol car on the upcoming overpass... immediately after I caught sight of him he obviously caught sight of me because he moved from his spot so swiftly I began sweating and shaking. Amongst the long line of cars in the right lane, I knew he was coming after ME. No doubt.

After being pulled over I began to pull out my Driver's License as gracefully as possible. To quickly bring you up to date... while I had been traveling behind the 5-6 cars in the right lane going approximately 72-75mph my son calmly alerts me that he has to go potty... bad. He's holding himself and repeating the information. I slide into the passing lane and its at the moment my foot has successfully pushed the pedal to the metal that I notice the "Stater", as I've heard them called before. Horrible timing. And highly excusable, might I add!

Upon being pulled over and the State Patrol officer reaching into my passenger's side window to retrieve from me my licence, my son yells from the rear of the van, "Mom! I need to go potty!" and I calmly, and as assuredly as possible, tell him that I know and he only needs to wait a quick moment longer... the State Patrol officer looks at my license and then with a quizzical look on his face asks, "Are you a "Berges"?" My eyes travel from my son to the officer almost as if in slow motion... you know, you see my eyes shift slowly from one spot to the next with a dramatically slow blink in between... and I'm staring at him, "yes." A question in the intonation. He informs me... as he chuckles... that he played baseball with my older brother, Geoff, and he's a patient of my Dad's. Brian Bond is the name. I immediately picture his parents' faces in my head as I paid close attention to ANYONE of my brothers' friends and acquaintances during my younger years! We make small talk... all the while my son is calling from the rear of the van that he needs to go potty. I'm almost proud of him - he has, without knowing, been a wonderful asset to me getting out of this predicament with less pain... the officer has commented that William reminds him of his 18 month-old son and has inquired as to the "plan of action" I have for getting this kid to the restroom.

My hope is that I am, once again, unduely spared from paying consequences for my actions. I drove away knowing that I won't always be that lucky... or blessed... (sick). But really? Will I not take FULL advantage of it next time?

Honestly, I can't say I mind this. But I will try to be less... uhhh... how do you put it... a "Berges"?

Creative Children...

I think we've almost lost it... the idea of creative children. Imaginative children. But its not due to the amazing companies out there that provide imagination-provoking toys; its not due to the minority of parents who prioritize imaginative play consequently providing our world with a potent group of children able to infuse our playgrounds with incredibly bright children and thus keeping hopelessness at bay; its not due to the well-deserving teachers who have received awards for making their students think... no, the fact that we haven't lost all hope for creative and imaginative children is because children still exist!

During a birthday party for my sister-in-law, my daughter Katie found herself caught up in an old picture album that Lesley's mom, Lori, utilized to store all of their old Colorforms. This is not the Original Colorforms Set but ancient, none-the-less... meaning that Lesley, at her ripe 26 years of age, remembers playing for hours with this same set when she was little! It made me realize that we have unleashed a beast on our children named Disney (not exclusively) and we have created in them a "let it fall in your lap" type of fun. But in all her childlike-ness Katie found it in her to plop down by the sliding glass door in the family room and create Colorform magic... lines of silhouettes of cars and animals and people. I loved seeing her in her quiet thought putting together pictures and when asking for help also critiqued one's ability to stick them properly and in the right place. What was her story all about?! Why was she so upset when the dots were placed incorrectly by the innocent helper?! I loved it and have since been researching Colorforms on the internet and will be purchasing the Original Colorforms set in the next couple of days at Toys R Us (as it is $14.99 as opposed to $29.99 everywhere else.)