Out of the box

A box is just a box. 

Until you look at it and decide that it's actually a doghouse:

Until you realize that you can get in, shut the "door," and be alone, for once:

Until you figure out that you can push two boxes together to make a cozy, private cave for two:

Until you round up a couple more boxes to create a haven with just enough room for all of you:

Until it occurs to you that maybe, just maybe, Mommy will let you decorate your new homes with markers:

A box is just a box?
Not when you're 4 years old!

 

* I would like to thank all of the boxes pictured in this post for endlessly entertaining the kiddos this week—and helping to make spring break at home a little more enjoyable for all of us!

Daddy knows best

Ted claims that he doesn't remember anything about the babies' first year ... but I know better.

A few days ago, he saw Lucy trying to give her doll a bottle and promptly sat down to demonstrate how he used to feed her when she was a tiny baby:

Minutes later, I found him showing both girls the correct technique for burping a baby as little as they used to be:

It almost made me think that he might be feeling a bit nostalgic for those early days of endless bottles, marathon burping sessions, and a whole lot of spit up ... but I know better.

He's just a daddy who loves his girls.

She's a baby

Lucy has entered a funny new phase—
Playing an infant is her latest craze.
Ted is her daddy; her mommy is Suzy.
Big girl prefers the name "Baby Lucy."

She wants to be cradled; she likes to be swaddled.

She drinks from a cup, but she calls it a bottle.

More than two years since we brought her home,

The pacis are gone, but she wants a chupón.

When she goes potty, I'm happy to wipe her—

But she better not ask to go back to diapers!

Baby Lucy then (3 weeks old) and Baby Lucy now (2.5 years old)

Drinking games

Believe it or not, I've managed to survive my first two years as a mother of quadruplets without drinking a single drop of coffee. Ted, on the other hand, has steadily become more and more dependent on the stuff. Every morning, he brews himself a pot, and you can be sure that Jude will always be on hand to supervise. I suppose it was only a matter of time before the son followed in his daddy's footsteps:



But while Jude may have fun pretending to enjoy a cup of joe, I wouldn't expect him to act like he's drinking a Diet Coke anytime soon:

Good housekeeping

Ted and I often joke about how great it will be when the Fab Four are finally old enough to take over the household chores. I know it's a little early to expect any of them to mow the lawn or clean the toilets for us, but I think we may have one who's just about ready to help with the dusting:



(I wish I could say that she learned it from watching me, but I'm afraid that the dustable surfaces in my home would tell you otherwise!)

Baby love

The Fab Four have been steadily increasing their vocabulary during the last couple of months: Lucy currently knows 29 words and 15 signs, Jude knows 15 words and 13 signs, and Isaac and Dahlia both know 8 words and 10 signs. Lately, it seems that every single day, at least one of the kids will learn to say a new word or make a new sign.

Out of all of those words, however, the one we hear (or see) the most is "baby." Lucy, in particular, is obsessed with babies and says the word about a million times a day. Baby, baby, baby—to her, just about anything with an anthropomorphic face, even a robot, is a baby!

Lucy's favorite babies are the ones that she and Dahlia got for their birthday and Christmas. Both girls (and sometimes even the boys) love to carry around their baby dolls and give them hugs. I often see the girls pretending to feed their dolls a bottle or give them a pacifier—it's so cute!

Lucy with her "quads" on Christmas Day (12 months old)

Here's a clip of the girls hanging out on the school bus with their baby dolls yesterday afternoon. Dahlia was not too interested in talking to me, but Lucy sure was: